The federal government is working to help unaccompanied migrant children get a quicker resolution in immigration court. 

The "surge docket" is a new initiative aimed at expediting the legal process for more than 57,000 unaccompanied minors who have been processed into the system since October. Federal immigration court in Manhattan, which usually deals with fewer than 100 new children's cases a month, is seeing a spike.

Legal groups report that more than 3,300 unaccompanied minors have arrived in the states since January with hopes of being allowed to stay legally with family already living in the U.S. Experts say the majority of the children flee their native countries to escape poverty, gang violence and death. 

As News 12 previously reported, Public Advocate Letitia James is calling on New York attorneys to get a help desk started in immigration court to better assist the undocumented, unaccompanied kids.