January 29, 2014.

Flow of Unaccompanied Minors Tests U.S. Immigration Agencies

"Yes, everything is turned off. We are alone."

LOS ANGELES----A record number of minors traveling alone are entering the U.S. illegally, presenting a new humanitarian and fiscal challenge as Congress grapples with the fate of 11 million undocumented residents already here.

"We have come here because----"

In a report to be released Thursday, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops forecasts that 60,000 unaccompanied minors from Central America will cross the Southwest border into the U.S. this year. That is up from less than 25,000 the year before, and just 5,800 a decade ago. Border-watchers say it highlights violence and unrest in several Central American countries. Minors who cross from Mexico are almost always repatriated.

He paused, realizing for the first time the vagueness of his own motives. Since he did not in fact know what kind of help he expected from O'Brien, it was not easy to say why he had come here. He went on, conscious that what he was saying must sound both feeble and pretentious:

Since 2011, the U.S. "has seen an unprecedented increase in the number of unaccompanied migrating children" crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, the Washington-based bishops' group reports, citing a surge in Border Patrol apprehensions.