Is YOUR Zip Code on the List? Unaccompanied Minors Released to Sponsors in Texas: Dallas County
Is Your Zip Code on the List? The Startling Number of Unaccompanied Alien Children Released in Dallas County by Zip Code
As I stated in my last post, “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.”
Last week, I released a detailed breakdown of the number of unaccompanied minors released to sponsors residing in my county, Tarrant. This substack focuses on the numbers for neighboring Dallas County. To read Tarrant County’s breakdown, click HERE. You can also find the pdf version of each county breakdown as it is released on the Alliance for a Safe Texas website HERE.
In Dallas County, nearly 11,000 unaccompanied minors, or unaccompanied alien children (UAC), were released to sponsors residing in the county from fiscal year (FY) 2021 to March 2024, according to Health and Human Services (HHS). Dallas County comes second in the state of the largest UAC population released to sponsors in Texas, with Harris County coming in 1st. As mentioned in the previous substack, DFW, Houston, and San Antonio are the top locations for trafficking cases in the states, with 35% of sexual exploitation cases reportedly occurring in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Reviewing the Numbers
According to data released by the New York Times (NYT), from 2015 to 2022, 12,000 unaccompanied minors were released to Dallas County sponsors, nearly 60% of which occurred in just the first two years of the Biden Administration.
The gender breakdown of the 6,998 UACs released in the county in 2021 and 2022 was reported as 4,583 male and 2,415 female. Perhaps most concerning is the dramatic decrease in the percentage of minors released to parental sponsors in Dallas County over the years, with less than a mere 36% of children released to their alleged mothers or fathers in 2022. In other words, over 60% of UACs were released to individuals in 2021 and 2022 who were not their parents in Dallas County, raising significant concerns.
From 2021-2022, the population of UACs released in Dallas represented 16 countries, with Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador representing the top 3 countries of origin of the minors released. However, according to the data, in Dallas County, the highest percentages of unaccompanied minors released to non-parental sponsors based on countries of origin are children from Afghanistan, Romania, and the United States, with Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua not far behind.
Concerns of Trafficking
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.”
The Financial Costs
As we pointed out in our previous substack, the financial costs on taxpayers and the state associated with combatting trafficking, health care, and educational services are significant. Although difficult to quantify, in 2016, the University of Texas at Austin conducted a study that concluded the approximate cost of child trafficking is $6.6 billion.
Furthermore, a 2023-2024 school year cost analysis conducted by the Austin American Statesman reported that the average local and state spending is $10,387 per public school student. Using the data by ORR of 10,940 unaccompanied minors released to sponsors in Dallas County, who, by definition, would be considered school-aged, the financial costs for a single year of education are over $113 million.
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?
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 with UACs Released to Sponsors in Dallas County
75001
75006
75007
75019
75038
75039
75040
75041
75042
75043
75044
75048
75050
75051
75052
75054
75060
75061
75062
75063
75080
75081
75082
75088
75089
75104
75115
75116
75125
75134
75137
75141
75146
75149
75150
75154
75159
75172
75180
75181
75201
75182
75206
75204
75203
75211
75208
75212
75210
75217
75216
75214
75215
75217
75216
75220
75218
75219
75223
75228
75227
75224
75229
75226
75231
75232
75234
75230
75233
75243
75248
75238
75241
75254
75240
75253
75237
75235
75249
75236
75244
75251
75247
75246
Wow! Astonishing. Thank you for your hard work on this. My zip code is on this list. This is insane!