The Department of Health and Human Services has notified Congress that November has seen a huge number of undocumented youths crossing into the United States, up 269 percent over last November.
And it is warning that it is getting close to running out of beds to house the immigrants.
Some 5,200 arrived in November, more than twice the 2014 surge. That year, 1,927 crossed over, and that was down from 3,320 in 2013.
HHS’ Office of Refugee Resettlement houses the youths with the Administration for Children and Families. An email from HHS provided to Secrets said, “Based on twenty-four days of November referrals, ACF projects a November total of 5,200 referrals. Referrals have averaged 205 over the last four days. If referrals remained at this average for a month, referrals would total 6,165.”
It said that “monthly referral totals are substantially above those in the previous two years.”
It added, “The number of children in care is approximately 6,600. ACF has a total bed capacity of 8,400.”
Where the immigrant children go is a controversial issue in Washington. Funding has become a sore point and two senators have made public a whistleblower’s charge that some of the children are placed with convicted sex molesters and murderers.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
