Sen. Hawley Questions DHS on Missing Migrant Kids

Senator Josh Hawley is pressing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for clarity regarding the status of nearly 300,000 unaccompanied migrant children who may have been lost in the U.S. The DHS's internal watchdog has raised alarms about the handling of these vulnerable minors, revealing that over 32,000 children failed to appear for immigration hearings, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unable to locate them. Alarmingly, the report indicates that ICE did not serve court dates to more than 291,000 unaccompanied minors, highlighting a significant oversight in the immigration process. The Inspector General, Joseph Cuffari, emphasized the urgent need for ICE to take action to protect these children, who are at heightened risk for trafficking, exploitation, and forced labor. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), responsible for placing these minors with sponsors, has also lost track of tens of thousands after they ceased communication. The lack of a follow-up protocol from ICE when children miss court appearances raises serious concerns about their safety and well-being. In response to the findings, ICE has committed to implementing a new alert system to improve tracking of these cases. The report underscores a broader issue, as nearly 366,000 unaccompanied minors were apprehended and sent to HHS during President Biden's first three years, while ICE currently manages a backlog of over 7 million migrants who are not being monitored. Despite the challenges, children who do attend their immigration hearings have a relatively low risk of deportation, with a significant percentage granted legal status within three years of their arrival.