More than 49,000 children crossed the border alone during the 2018 budget year. While the overall number of children coming to the U.S. is down from a high in 2016, minors are staying in shelters longer and the total number of children detained at any one time is at an all-time high. The average length of time that children spend in shelters has increased from 40 days in fiscal 2016 to 59 in fiscal 2018, according to federal data. There are more than 14,000 children in 137 government shelters around the country.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 19, 2018 18:22 UTC