Nearly 19,000 unaccompanied migrant children have crossed the United States border and ended up in Tennessee since 2015, with the majority being placed with family members. The children have been working in brutal jobs, such as food processing plants, in violation of child labor laws. A 12-year-old migrant child was even found working as a roofer in the state. This data was obtained by the New York Times from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services after filing a lawsuit and was released to the public at the end of the year. The Times’ articles on the placement of migrant children were honored with the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting in May. Since 2021, nearly 400,000 children have crossed the U.S. border without their parents, with 96% of the unaccompanied migrant children in Tennessee coming from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. State Republican leaders have expressed concerns over the lack of transparency from the federal government regarding the presence of these children. The placement of unaccompanied children in Tennessee gained attention three years ago due to reports of abuse in a Chattanooga facility and a late-night flight bringing children to the state. The state’s Middle Tennessee counties, home to Nashville and Murfreesboro, have received the most unaccompanied migrant children. This issue highlights the ongoing challenges faced by migrant children seeking refuge in the United States.
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Photo credit tennesseelookout.com
Since 2015, 19,000 unaccompanied migrant children have arrived in Tennessee, with majority reuniting with family: Tennessee Lookout
