Where unaccompanied migrant children in the PNW come from
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The majority of unaccompanied migrant children who arrived in Seattle and Portland between 2015 and 2023 are from Central America.
- That's based on U.S. Department of Human Health and Services data on migrant children sponsors' ZIP codes obtained by the New York Times through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Why it matters: Unaccompanied migrant children are an especially vulnerable group as federal, state and city leaders spar over sheltering and supporting foreigners and asylum seekers who have crossed the border without permission.
By the numbers: At least 1,299 unaccompanied child migrants arrived in Seattle between January 2015 and May 2023, with 40% from Guatemala, 35% from Honduras and about 18% from El Salvador, per ZIP code data.
- In Portland over that same period, 68% of the 605 unaccompanied child migrants came from Guatemala, 16% from Honduras and 7% from El Salvador.
The big picture: Of over 550,000 unaccompanied migrant children who arrived in U.S. cities between 2015 and 2023, most ended up much closer to the southern border: Houston (about 32,000), Los Angeles (about 12,700) and Dallas (about 8,500).
What they're saying: "Migrant children, who have been coming into the United States without their parents in record numbers, are ending up in some of the most punishing jobs in the country," per a recent Times investigation.
- "This shadow workforce extends across industries in every state, flouting child labor laws that have been in place for nearly a century."
Yes, but: If an unaccompanied child is apprehended by immigration authorities, the child is transferred to the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement and may then be released to sponsors, who are usually family members, according to the Department of Health & Human Services.
- 906 and 462 unaccompanied migrant children were released to sponsors in Washington and Oregon, respectively, between October 2023 and April, the federal data shows.
The latest: President Joe Biden announced an executive order last week that will allow him to dramatically limit asylum claims at the southern border, granting himself the power that congressional Republicans have twice denied him.
- The order will allow border officials to rapidly turn back migrants — without giving them a chance at asylum — when illegal border crossings reach an average of 2,500 a day.
The bottom line: While some states are seeking to crack down on illegal immigration, Washington and Oregon are both sanctuary states.
- Washington has specific programs to assist children who arrive in the U.S. with no parent or guardian, including placement in foster care with specially trained local families.
- Unaccompanied minors in Oregon may be assigned a caseworker from the state Department of Human Services and connected with a resource family.
- Additionally, programs from the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement may be administered in Oregon through private nonprofit organizations.