Record flood of solo child migrants

The Biden administration predicts the surge of unaccompanied children crossing the southern border, which is already overwhelming federal facilities, will smash records every month for the next six months.

The White House said the number of minors could soar to 26,000 a month in September, dwarfing the 16,000 crossing into the United States this month, Axios reported, citing leaked documents.

Until this month, the record stood at 11,475 in May 2019.

The administration is already scrambling to get a handle on the increase, readjusting estimates of roughly 13,000 for this May to between 22,000 and 25,000.

US Customs and Border Protection is predicting a similar range for September: from 22,000 to 26,000.

The escalating numbers will further strain federal border facilities and stretch beyond the seasonal migration patterns, the report said.

The White House and Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment.

Asked about the migrant rush at his press conference last Thursday, President Biden said “nothing has changed” at the border.

“It happens every single, solitary year: There is a significant increase in the number of people coming to the border in the winter months of January, February, March. That happens every year,” he said.

But amid those comments, federal agencies are making preparations for the recordshattering spike.

HHS said it has an immediate need for an extra 6,000 shelter beds to accommodate the minors already in its custody if it wants to remain at the targeted cap of 90 percent capacity, the report said.

If the estimates hold, it will need an additional 34,000 beds in September.