Where Are They Now? The Top States Where Border Kids Are Released

Since October, over 57,000 unaccompanied children have crossed the border into the United States, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The children claim asylum after they are detained by government officials. After a sponsor in the United States claims responsibility for a child, they earn their release with court summons to an immigration court to determine whether they qualify for asylum. 

According to a Reuters report, a case takes three to five years to clear the system as immigration courts have a backlog of 375,373 cases. 

So where are these released children awaiting their court date? According to the HHS Administration for Children and Families, over 30,000 children have been released in the following states (and the District of Columbia) from January 1 – July 7 in 2014.