Maryland

Maryland leads the nation for rate of migrant children

Published

2 years ago

May 2, 2024

Maryland leads the nation for rate of migrant children

Two Maryland ZIP codes are among the most common destinations in the United States for migrant children

Thousands of migrant children are coming to Maryland every year. One ZIP code in Southeast Baltimore saw an influx of nearly 1,800 migrant children from 2015 to 2023, among the most in the country over that time.

ZIP code 21224, home to parts of Canton, Brewers Hill and Greektown, saw more children from other countries — most of them in South America — than all but 13 other ZIP codes in the United States.

And it wasn’t even atop the list in Maryland.

Another ZIP code, this one in Prince George’s County, ranked No. 2 in the nation. Across Maryland, tens of thousands of unaccompanied migrant children have arrived since 2015. They often end up in homes with distant relatives, or even strangers.

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It’s part of a surge over the last few years that thrust Maryland into the center of a national crisis surrounding migrant children. Between January 2015 and May 2023, more than 30,000 unaccompanied migrant children were placed in Maryland. That’s 49 children per 10,000 state residents.

No other state was even close.

Washington, D.C., was a distant second with 35 migrant children per 10,000 residents.

Maryland saw a surge in these migrant children in 2021, along with much of the nation, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, obtained last year by The New York Times. HHS is responsible for placing migrant children with adult sponsors.

Sometimes, the children are reunited with their parents. But more and more of the migrant children coming to Maryland are placed with someone other than their mother or father. Often that means an aunt, uncle or other family member, the data shows. But sometimes it can be more distant relatives, or even a complete stranger.

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In 2015, more than two-thirds of the children who came to Maryland were placed with their parents. By 2023, that number had plummeted to 37%.

Like the nation as a whole, the vast majority of the children come to Maryland from one of three countries: Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Prior to the pandemic, more children came to Maryland from El Salvador, but since 2020, the number of children from Guatemala and Honduras has caught up. Now, more children come from Guatemala than any other country.

The children coming from Guatemala are much more likely to be placed with someone other than a parent. Just 41% of those children ended up with their parents, compared to 51% for Honduran children and 55% for those from El Salvador.

Within Maryland, Prince George’s County — the second-largest county by population in the state — saw by far the most unaccompanied migrant children. Nearly 10,000 such children, around one-third of the state’s total, wound up in Prince George’s County.

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More than 3,200 children were sent to ZIP code 20783, near Adelphi, just outside of Washington, D.C. That’s the second-highest total for any ZIP code in the nation, second only to a part of Houston, Texas. About 60% of the people who live in 20783 are foreign-born, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. It is among the ZIP codes with the highest percentage of foreign-born residents in the nation.

It’s not the only hot spot in Maryland. Another ZIP code, 21649 in eastern Maryland along the Delaware border, home to the small cities of Marydel and Templeville, was sixth in the nation for migrant children per capita. That ZIP code was home to just 2,200 people in 2022. It saw an influx of 137 migrant children over an eight-year period, a substantial increase for an area of that size.

In Anne Arundel County, the top ZIP code is 21225, which spans both Brooklyn Park in Anne Arundel and parts of south Baltimore City. About 61% of the population in that ZIP code lives in Anne Arundel. In Baltimore County, it was 21222 in Dundalk. In Howard County, it was 21045 in Columbia.

Maryland’s population has been essentially flat since 2020. The state would have lost people if not for international migration, according to Census data. The state has only added 3,000 people since the decennial census, but nearly 100,000 people have moved away to other states. International migration has offset those losses substantially, likely including many of the 15,000 migrant children who have moved here since 2020.

Ramsey Archibald is an award-winning data journalist originally from Birmingham, Alabama.

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Maryland

Maryland Senate Republicans push to roll back MVA fees as drivers complain of costs

Published

3 hours ago

March 7, 2026

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Maryland Senate Republicans push to roll back MVA fees as drivers complain of costs

MARYLAND (WBFF) — Maryland drivers frustrated by rising costs at the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) are watching a push in Annapolis to roll back recent vehicle registration fee hikes.

At the MVA on Reisterstown Road, motorists said the cost of driving has become too high.

“It’s too expensive to drive,” one driver said.

Another driver said, “The cost is ridiculous. They want me to pay almost $400 (for my vehicle registration).”

ALSO READ | Maryland residents react to soaring vehicle registration fees, rank fifth highest in U.S.

Delores Howell, a Maryland motorist at the MVA, said the increases are hitting her hard.

“I think it’s awful. Who can afford it? It’s too much money,” Howell said.

She added, “I’m a senior citizen, and I’m on social security. I’m one person, live by myself. I can’t afford all this stuff. They keep going up, up, up, how high are they gonna go?”

Senate Republicans in Annapolis are pushing legislation this week to roll back the vehicle registration fee increases that were implemented in 2024. Those increases raised registration costs by about 60% to 70%, adding between $70 and $162 a year for many drivers.

The bill’s sponsor, Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey, said the higher fees are hitting families as the cost of gas, insurance and everyday essentials continues to climb.

Critics have warned the fees help fund transportation projects across Maryland and argue that reducing them could create new budget challenges for road maintenance and infrastructure.

During a recent hearing, Sen. Mary-Dulany James, D-Harford County, questioned how the state would meet transportation needs with less revenue.

“I’ve never had a hearing with the transportation department where we don’t have extraordinary demands and inadequate revenue,” James said. “So, that’s what I’m wondering about with this bill. How would you respond to that?”

Hershey responded by arguing there are competing views of what transportation funding should prioritize.

“There’s two different opinions on what transportation is in the state of Maryland,” Hershey said. “Many of us believe that it’s roads and highways, many of us believe that it’s transit.

The problem is transit is not sustainable on itself.”

James replied, “Well that’s true we should have a separate transportation trust fund for transit.”

“And that’s what’s important to get that conversation going… because the reality is you’re funding mass transit on the backs of motorists,” Hershey said.

ALSO READ | Maryland Judiciary warns of parking violation scam, directs recipients to Baltimore court

Back at the MVA, Howell said she hopes the proposed legislation could bring relief.

“Every time you look around, it’s not taxes. They put fees. Fees is a tax. So what can we do?” Howell said.

For now, the bill remains up for debate as lawmakers continue discussing the potential impacts on transportation funding.

Follow FOX45 reporter Keith Daniels on X and Facebook. Send tips to Kdaniels@sbgtv.com.

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Maryland

Around Town: Maryland Home and Garden Show returns to the State Fairgrounds

Published

15 hours ago

March 6, 2026

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Around Town: Maryland Home and Garden Show returns to the State Fairgrounds – CBS Baltimore

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The Maryland Home and Garden Show returns to the State Fairgrounds.

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Maryland

No. 6-seed Maryland women’s basketball stunned by No. 11-seed Oregon, 73-68, in Big Ten Tournament second round

Published

1 day ago

March 6, 2026

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No. 6-seed Maryland women’s basketball stunned by No. 11-seed Oregon, 73-68, in Big Ten Tournament second round

No. 6-seed Maryland women’s basketball had a chance to earn the final shot Thursday night.

Oluchi Okananwa drew an and-one opportunity to potentially cut the deficit to one point. But she missed the free throw.

No. 11-seed Oregon went the other way and head coach Brenda Frese decided not to foul. With 4.4 seconds remaining, guard Avary Cain knocked down a 3-pointer to end Maryland’s run in the Big Ten Tournament after just one game with a 73-68 loss in Indianapolis.

“It felt like deja vu,” Frese said.

Just like the last time it faced Oregon — in College Park in late January — Maryland led by a slim margin heading into the fourth quarter.

That night, the Terps were outscored 24-11 in the fourth. It was 21-11 in favor of Oregon on Thursday.

“They just made a few more plays than we did late game that sent us home,” Frese said.

Maryland’s offense didn’t come through when it needed it most — it made just one 3-pointer on 15 attempts on the night.

The Terps relied on interior scoring in the first half. Of its first 23 points, 22 came from inside the paint — the only other score was a free throw. The game finished with Maryland scoring 48 points in the paint. The other 15 points came from free throws.

But that was too one-dimensional offensively. The Terps attempted 21 layups and seven 3-pointers in the first half. It finished with 33 layups and 16 3-pointers, and made 20 layups compared to one 3-pointer.

As the first half progressed, Oregon adjusted to take away that gameplan. The second quarter started with an 11-2 Ducks run — they simply found more ways to score. Maryland could not find scoring outside of the paint or the charity stripe — its only 3-pointer came with 1:50 remained in the first half.

The Ducks weren’t dominating from deep, either; the game consisted mostly of back-and-forth layups. Still, the lack of success from beyond the arc was relatively uncharted territory for head coach Brenda Frese.

Early on, the Terps were overly cautious in avoiding foul trouble. But it backfired.

Oluchi Okananwa started the game on 3-of-3 shooting and scored six of Maryland’s first eight points. She has dealt with foul trouble in recent games. So Frese opted to have her sit for the remaining six minutes of the first quarter after committing a foul.

But amid the intention to avoid foul trouble, Yarden Garzon committed two quick fouls early in the second quarter.

The referees continued to call a tight game in the third quarter. Okananwa got up to three fouls, and so did Isi Ozzy-Momodu. The Terps were in the exact position they were looking to avoid.

Due to its cautiousness regarding foul trouble, Maryland’s rotations were altered. Breanna Williams had some extended playing time — though it started out well, it turned sour quickly. She made an early layup, but also had some defensive lapses and looked largely out of place.

Maryland relied on its freshmen for 35 collective minutes in the first half. They were impactful, but not as much as its senior leadership, which was hampered by foul trouble.

Okananwa finished with 27 points and was Maryland’s main workhorse. It didn’t end up being enough, but her ability to drive inside gave her team a fighting chance.

“Just be aggressive. Be my normal self. A lot of good things happen for me when I drive,” Okananwa said. “Whether it’s me getting to the line or finishing the bucket. So that was my mentality. Just be aggressive.”

With a loss in the first game of the Big Ten Tournament, what seemed like a sure thing that Maryland would host NCAA Tournament games now looks in jeopardy.

1. A shocking loss. Since joining the Big Ten, this is the first time Maryland failed to reach the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament. Last year, the Terps lost their first game but had a double-bye; this was their worst outing ever in the Big Ten Tournament.

2. What now? With the Terps’ run in Indianapolis now over, they will wait to see if they will host in the NCAA Tournament. Maryland was not the only Big Ten team slated to host that lost on Thursday — Michigan State did too. It remains to be seen what that means for the Terps.

“It shouldn’t be judged off of one game, and I think our conference prepares you night in and night out,” Frese said. “I think you should be rewarded for your body of work.”

3. Garzon’s bad game. Maryland needed more from Garzon on Thursday and simply didn’t get it, as she shot 1-of-11 from the field and 1-of-9 from deep. If she made one or two of those shots, there’s a good chance Maryland would have won.

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