Over the last nine months, over 60,000 unaccompanied illegal immigrant children have been detained by border security after crossing into the United States from Mexico.

The children are then placed with “sponsors,” typically relatives, while they await asylum hearings.

The U.S. Office of the Administration of Children and Families (ACF) explains:

When a child who is not accompanied by a parent or legal guardian is apprehended by immigration authorities, the child is transferred to the care and custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). ORR cares for the children in shelters around the country until they can be released to a sponsor, typically a parent or relative, who can care for the child while their immigration case is processed.

Border states like Texas and California have seen thousands upon thousands of children released into their states, but other states around the nation, including Alabama, are having to deal with it as well.

According to data just released by the ACF, 515 unaccompanied illegal immigrant children were released into Alabama between Jan. 1, 2014 and July 7, 2014. A total of 37,477 of the children have been released into the interior of the United States over that time period.

(h/t/ Buzzfeed)

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