The fate of thousands of unaccompanied children is decided in immigration court

PHOENIX – They arrive at the federal courthouse each Friday, their hair neatly combed, dressed in the best clothes they own or can borrow.

At the U.S. border between El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, about 3,300 unaccompanied children were apprehended in 2016. The sector encompasses 125,500 square miles and 268 miles of international border. (Photo by Maria Esquinca/Cronkite News)

The oldest is 17 years old. The youngest is 5. All of them are unaccompanied minors living in shelters, waiting to be reunited with a parent or guardian, granted asylum, or deported back to their home country.

Read full story here.