A congressional hearing recently addressed the issue of 323,000 children who have disappeared after being placed with sponsors.
At a congressional subcommittee hearing, Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Xavier Becerra refuted claims that 323,000 unaccompanied minor children who came into the country illegally are missing.
This testimony took place on Nov. 20 before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement regarding the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).
Critics, particularly Republicans, have been questioning Becerra following reports that thousands of children who entered illegally cannot be located.
When pressed by Republican Rep. Thomas Tiffany (R-Wis.), Becerra did not directly address whether he would change procedures for ensuring contact with sponsors who are unreachable.
Instead, Becerra defended his department’s actions, stating that once children were placed with sponsors, they were no longer the responsibility of HHS.
After placement, sponsors and children receive three follow-up calls, but are not obligated to respond, according to Becerra.
“Every day is a challenge, and we do the best we can to protect the safety and well-being of these children,” said Becerra in response to concerns raised.
Subcommittee Chairman Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) suggested that ORR’s focus seemed more on expediting placement rather than ensuring the safety of the children.
McClintock mentioned that in 2021, Becerra eliminated the requirement for ORR to provide biographic and biometric data on all adult household members of sponsors for criminal background checks.
Customs and Border Protection has encountered approximately 520,000 unaccompanied minors at the U.S. southern border during the Biden administration.
A recent report from the Department of Homeland Security revealed that as of May 2024, 32,000 illegal immigrant children who had court dates failed to appear, and another 291,000 were released without immigration court dates, posing challenges in monitoring them.
During the hearing, concerns were raised about various incidents, including evidence from a Florida grand jury investigation indicating potential trafficking and abuse of unaccompanied minors.
Becerra expressed disagreement with some allegations in the Florida report but did not immediately point out any inaccuracies.
The hearing also highlighted the need to address vulnerable children who entered the country illegally under the Biden administration, with plans to prioritize these cases under President-elect Donald Trump’s border strategy.
Homan, Trump’s incoming border czar, emphasized the urgency of locating and safeguarding these at-risk children, many of whom may be victims of exploitation.
ICE, under Homan’s leadership in the first Trump administration, has been urged to take immediate action to ensure the safety of these missing children, as indicated in the DHS report.
Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
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