More and more children are arriving in Mexico alone—without the loved ones they began their migration journey with. In just four years, the number of unaccompanied minors entering Mexico has nearly doubled, soaring from 69,500 in 2019 to over 137,000 in 2023. A recent study released in May 2025 by Plan International and Save the Children paints a sobering picture: 155 children between the ages of 7 and 16 were interviewed across Ciudad Juárez, Reynosa, and Tijuana. Nearly two-thirds of the children in Ciudad Juárez left home with a parent or guardian, but only a third arrived at the border with someone by their side. This trend of painful separation is something we’ve witnessed firsthand in migrant encampments not only in those cities but now in Mexico City as well. Separation from family leaves deep emotional wounds—but it also puts children, especially girls, at grave risk. Alone and unprotected, many face violence, exploitation, trafficking, and coercion by armed groups. The journey that was supposed to offer hope and safety often delivers fear and danger instead. These children are navigating one of the world’s most perilous migration routes—without the support and care they need. At Rise Up and Read, we believe every child deserves a safe place to land and a story to hold onto. Help us continue to provide books, reading spaces, and a sense of possibility to children who have already lost so much. This research is further supported by the study “Unaccompanied Children: Risks and Violence Along the Migration Route Through Mexico,” conducted by the Human Rights Programme at Universidad Iberoamericana CDMX between November 2024 and February 2025.