Associated Press/Andres Leighton
- The Trump administration is scaling back services for unaccompanied minors who cross the US-Mexico border, citing budget constraints after a surge in crossings not seen in over a decade.
- The Trump administration is struggling to deal with the number of migrants entering the US, and has placed much of the blame for insufficient services and even several recent deaths of migrant children onto migrants themselves.
- According to new data released by Customs and Border Protection, 109,144 people were taken into custody last month, nearly 9,000 of them unaccompanied children.
The Trump administration is slashing support and services for unaccompanied minors who cross the US-Mexico border, citing budget constraints after a surge in crossings not seen in for more than a decade.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and provides housing and resources for migrant children, has instructed providers to suspend funding for certain programs.
It instructed officials to cut programs "not directly necessary for the protection of life and safety," a spokesperson for the HHS said, according to the Washington Post. These services include English classes, recreational programs like soccer, and legal aid, the Post said.
Details of the plans were revealed in an email sent out by an HHS official last week, which the Post obtained.
The official said the costs of educational and recreational activities, including accompanying personnel, were "unallowable " and set a deadline for their cessation.
According to the Post, the ORR asked Congress for $2.9 billion in emergency funding to for shelters and welfare programs overwhelmed by the number of migrants
According to new data released by Customs and Border Protection, the number of border apprehensions is rising to levels not seen in over a decade. Data showed that 109,144 people were taken into custody last month, nearly 9,000 of them unaccompanied children.
HHS spokesman Mark Weber said that the ORR could run out of money by late June, and is "legally obligated" to funnel its funding to programs that are absolutely vital, according to the Post.
Read more: 5 migrant children have died in US custody since December
The Trump administration is struggling to deal with the mass numbers of migrants entering the US, and has shifted much of the blame for insufficient services and even several recent deaths of migrant children onto migrants themselves.
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Rosie Perper)