Unaccompanied alien children (UAC) are undocumented migrant children who come to the United States unaccompanied by a parent or guardian. The number apprehended UACs originating from the Central America counties of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras have increased since FY 2012. Since the beginning of fiscal year 2014, more than 57,000 UACs have been apprehended; double the number that was apprehended in FY 2013. The majority of UACs were apprehended and processed in the Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Sector of South Texas. The CBP facilities were not designed to house or care for children for extended periods. Resources and personnel were significantly strained in the management and care of UACs.
Objective
To categorize and assess the health impacts of the 2014 surge of unaccompanied alien children to the Lower Rio Grande Valley Border.