Unaccompanied Minor Crisis Sparks Fear of MS-13 Resurgence McALLEN, Texas—The number of unaccompanied children crossing the border is causing concern over the knock-on effects the wave will have on U.S. schools and communities. The first surge of unaccompanied minors in 2014 was followed by an uptick in MS-13 gang violence in the areas where most of the minors were placed. MS-13 used the unaccompanied minor program as a recruiting tool, and vulnerable children found a home in the violent gang, often either by coercion or for a sense of belonging. Harris County, Texas, has absorbed the most unaccompanied minors since 2014 (more than 20,000), and state Attorney General Ken Paxton said he’s “absolutely concerned” about the nexus with MS-13, or “Mara Salvatrucha.”