The Department of Homeland released more than 52,000 illegal alien children into the United States this past fiscal year — about 149 per day — many to family members who also were in the country unlawfully.

The number, 52,147, was nearly double the 27,840 released in fiscal 2015 — but lower than the 53,515 in fiscal 2014, according to data released this week by the Office of Refugee Resettlement of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The figures were reported Thursday by the Media Research Center. The federal government's fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.

Fiscal 2014 was marked by a huge influx of unaccompanied minors from Central America flooding the U.S. border with Mexico that strained law-enforcement and federal resources.

Processed as "refugees" and transferred to Refugee Resettlement, the children are released with a notice to appear before a federal immigration judge.

However, more than a third do not show up for their final hearing, according to the report.

In February, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions slammed Obama administration officials after they admitted that no more than 4 percent of the illegal children are returned to their native countries.

According to the fiscal 2016 figures, here are the top five states where illegal children were sent: