Number of Young Illegal Immigrants in US Custody Grows

Kaylee Samantha, 7, who said she came alone from Mexico, gets off of a small inflatable raft onto U.S. soil after being delivered by a smuggler in Roma, Texas, on March 24, 2021. Dario Lopez-Mills/AP Photo

The number of immigrant children in U.S. custody grew by over 1,500 in just two days, according to newly released federal data.

Just over 18,000 minors who illegally crossed the southern border of the United States without a parent or guardian were in the custody of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as of March 25.