Border Crisis Brought to YOUR Zip Code: Gillespie & Llano County
Is YOUR Zip Code on the List?
Recap
“Previously, we have discussed the breakdown of data released by the New York Times (NYT), thanks to their investigative reporting on the unprecedented and startling number of unaccompanied minors, or unaccompanied alien children (UAC), released to poorly vetted sponsors across Texas and the United States. The information we will be discussing is based on the NYT data, which is broken down by zip code across the United States.
Therefore, given the vastness of the Lone Star State, Alliance for a Safe Texas is committed to disseminating this overwhelming information with utmost accuracy. We believe the best way to do this is by individual Texas County. So far, I have released a detailed breakdown of the data in Tarrant and Dallas Counties, which can be read in our previous substacks here (click here for Tarrant, click here for Dallas, click here for Johnson, Parker, and Hood County). We want to ensure that this information is easily accessible to all, and it may also be found on our website by clicking here.
As a reminder, an unaccompanied child or UAC is defined by the Office of Refugee Resettlement as a minor who “Has no lawful immigration status in the United States, is under 18 years of age, and has no parent or legal guardian in the United States or no parent or legal guardian in the United States is available to provide care and physical custody.”
This substack focuses on the data regarding unaccompanied minors (also known as unaccompanied alien children, UAC) in Gillespie and Llano Counties.
“Why is this information essential to digest? As I have previously stated, “Since 2021, over 400,000 unaccompanied minors have been released to sponsors in the United States. Over 58,000 UACs have been released to sponsors residing in Texas, far more than any other state. These startling numbers have a dramatic impact felt across the state, from increased probability of child trafficking cases across Texas communities to impact on schools, healthcare systems, and the burden to taxpayers.”
Digesting the Numbers
Gillespie County
As per the data shared by the New York Times (NYT), the release of unaccompanied minors to sponsors in Gillespie County has been a practice since 2016. However, the numbers have seen a significant surge under the Biden Administration, with over 81% of the total number of unaccompanied minors between 2016 and 2022 being released in this period. This stark increase is a matter of concern and needs our attention. The data also reveals that over 56% of the 60 unaccompanied minors were released to sponsors who were not the child’s parent.
The three countries of origin listed for the UACs released in Gillespie County from 2021 to March 2023 are Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. There were reportedly 39 males and 21 females.
Impacts on Local Community
Last year, there was an effort in Fredericksburg ISD to open health care clinics inside of some of the school campuses, claiming the clinics were necessary to assist with the large population of “undocumented students” in the district. Viewing the data of just the unaccompanied minors, the claims are not surprising. Read more about the FISD attempts to insert clinics into the schools, which Alliance for a Safe Texas commented against here:
https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article_6ff00818-3acd-11ee-8092-f304c22479d8.html
The financial impact of unaccompanied minors and presumably other illegal migrant families in the county is notable. The reported costs of local and state funding spent on each public-school student by the Austin American Statesman are approximately $10,387. For a single year, the number of UACs released into Gillespie County, according to the data, is roughly $620,000. According to the Texas Tribune, during the 2021/2022 school year, 16.3% of the student population in FISD were categorized as Bilingual/English Second Language (ESL). Suggesting there are potentially far more migrant children in the district.
Llano County
According to data by the NYT, 59 UACs were released to sponsors residing in Llano County from 2018 to March 2023. However, over 84% of the total documented number of minors released in the county from 2018 to May 2023 occurred under the Biden Administration.
Of the 50 UACs released in Llano between 2021 and March 2023, over 60% were released to sponsors who were not their parents. Thirty-nine minors were reported as male and 11 females, with Colombia, Guatemala, and Honduras listed as the countries of origin, according to NYT data.
Impacts on Local Community
Utilizing the exact estimate by the Austin American Statesman of $10,387 per student per year, the estimated cost of the 50 UACs released in Llano County between 2021 and May 2023 is roughly $519,350 assuming each of the UACs is in the public school system. According to the Texas Tribune, during the 2021/2022 school year, 11.9% of the student population is listed as Bilingual/ESL. Similar to Gillespie County, the data suggests a larger migrant population in Llano County whose children are attending Llano ISD.
Concerns of Trafficking
Recap from prior substacks: “The concern of exploitation, increased trafficking, and abuse is alarming as the potential human and financial costs are unprecedented, as evidence suggests.
As I have previously stated in prior substacks, “The New York Times recently released data on the UACs which was utilized by the media outlet to investigate allegations of exploitation, abuse, and trafficking of the unprecedented number of minors flooding into the country. As previously mentioned, “Similar to escalated vulnerabilities to trafficking seen with children in the foster care system, it is well-known that unaccompanied minors are at high risk of abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. As I testified to Congress last year, many of the children claim they do not know or have never met their alleged sponsors and, in some cases, are told by complete strangers whom to ask for when they arrive.
Numerous investigations from Congress, reporting by the New York Times and other media outlets, a statewide Florida Grand Jury, and Oversight agencies have found multiple cases of abuse, neglect, and trafficking, and those whom federal agencies and their contractors have simply lost track of.
A briefing by the European Parliament stated that the European Federation for Missing and Sexually Exploited Children “holds evidence that each year tens of thousands of migrant children go missing after arriving in Europe.” Previously mentioned evidence suggested the same is occurring in the U.S., and several agencies agree that the opportunity for abuse, exploitation, and trafficking increases when UACs are released to sponsors who are not their parents.
In response, during the 88th regular session, Alliance for a Safe Texas worked with state legislators to gather support for the call of a state-level investigation, like that done in Florida, with a bi-partisan supported letter by Representative Stan Kitzman leading the way, regarding the concerning allegations which the Texas Legislature could and should take up during the current interim charges.”
Is your zip code listed as a location where UACs were released to sponsors from 2021 to May 2023? Check below.
Action Item: What can YOU do?
As we shared in my previous stacks on the topic, “First, share this information by clicking the share button. Please share it on social media with friends, family, and neighbors. Send to your local elected officials: city council, county commissioner, state legislators, and congressional members. Second: Contact the offices of Governor Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Speaker Phelan, and your state legislators and tell them you support the call for a state-level investigation and interim hearings on the issue.”
Zip Codes where UACs were released to sponsors residing in Gillespie County
78028
78624
78631
Zip Codes where UACs were released to sponsors residing in Llano County
78639
78657
In the beautiful town of Llano too?!?! Insane. Thank you for spreading awareness about this.