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Fronteras: Easing the transition of unaccompanied migrant children from government custody to life in the U.S.

Hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers reach the U.S.-Mexico border each year in search of a better life. They have increasingly included unaccompanied migrant children.

Unaccompanied minors range from infants to those under 18 years old. Those children often make the treacherous journey to the border with a smuggler or may even be accompanied by a relative or loved one.

But if that family member isn’t an official parent or legal guardian, the child is considered unaccompanied by authorities.

After traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles, most unaccompanied minors are placed under the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 13,150 unaccompanied children encountered at the southwestern border in November 2022 — a 9.4% increase compared to the previous month.

But unaccompanied children who arrive in the U.S. are more than just a number on a federal report. Their care — from the point they arrive at the border to after they’re released from custody — should concern us all.

A new brief by theMigration Policy Institute (MPI) and UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, outlines strategies on what should happen to unaccompanied minors after they leave government custody and are released to family or sponsor care.

Jonathan Beier is an Associate Policy Analyst with the Migration Policy Institute's (MPI) National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy. Photo credit: Louis Tinsley; Lauren Farwell is a Migration Program Officer for UNICEF HQ Global Migration & Displacement Hub. Photo credit: Courtesy of UNICEF USA.
Jonathan Beier is an Associate Policy Analyst with the Migration Policy Institute's (MPI) National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy. Photo credit: Louis Tinsley; Lauren Farwell is a Migration Program Officer for UNICEF HQ Global Migration & Displacement Hub. Photo credit: Courtesy of UNICEF USA.

Lauren Farwell, a program officer with UNICEF’s Migration and Displacement team, says the journey that minors take from their home countries to the U.S. is one often marked by violence and exploitation.

“Many of these children have faced extreme hardship and already extraordinary challenges at a young age,” she said. “Arrival at the border might be the end of the trek itself, but it also marks the beginning of a new stage in the journey upon arrival in the U.S.”

Though many organizations offer post-release services to minors released from custody, it’s vital that children who transition from custody to reunification continue to receive those services.

Jonathan Beier, an associate policy analyst at MPI, also co-authored the brief along with Rhonda Fleishcher and Essey Workie.

Beier said the brief offers suggestions on how to better coordinate those services and ensure the transition process is smooth.

“The more that we can build networks that coordinate and communicate together, the better we find that those communities are going to be able to actually meet the needs of the children who are joining their communities,” said Beier.

Norma Martinez can be reached at norma@tpr.org and on Twitter at @NormDog1