Surge of illegals is the new HHS crisis

The number of children caught crossing the Mexican border without an adult has jumped tenfold and is overwhelming officials charged with caring for them in federal custody.

HHS’s obscure Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) program handled about 6,000 to 8,000 children a year between 2003 and 2011 while they were readied for deportation or took their cases to court.

But a new wave of immigrants from Central America means the workload could soar to 90,000 unaccompanied kids this fiscal year and 127,000 in 2015, advocates told The Hill.

President Obama is asking Congress to more than double the program’s budget with an extra $1.4 billion for shelter, food, clothing and services.