The Obama administration said Tuesday that it is formally asking Congress for $3.7 billion in emergency funds to address the surge in unaccompanied minors coming illegally into the U.S., NBC News reported. The White House says the money is necessary to cover increased man-hours for border patrol agents and aerial surveillance teams, legal services, the hiring of 40 more teams of immigration judges and care for the children while they are in the country. Meanwhile, U.N. officials pushed for many of the children and families crossing the border to be treated as refugees fleeing armed conflict, putting pressure on the U.S. and Mexico to accept thousands of immigrants not currently eligible for asylum.
