Inspector General Uncovers Shocking Issues with Unaccounted Migrant Children

A recent Inspector General report has revealed a troubling gap in the U.S. government’s ability to track unaccompanied migrant children.

At a Glance

Inspector General’s report identifies significant flaws in the tracking systems for unaccompanied migrant children.
Tens of thousands of migrant children are missing their immigration court hearings.
Concerns over trafficking and exploitation risks are rising.
Calls for immediate and comprehensive improvements are mounting.

Major Flaws Uncovered in Tracking Systems

The Department of Homeland Security’s internal watchdog has pointed out “urgent issues” with how immigration officials handle cases involving unaccompanied migrant children. The Inspector General’s report reveals that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been unable to keep track of all unaccompanied minors released from government custody. Over the past five years, more than 32,000 children failed to appear for their immigration court hearings. ICE cannot account for the locations of these children.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is responsible for the care of unaccompanied migrant children, while ICE facilitates their transfer to HHS. Inspector General Joseph Cuffari has emphasized the lack of monitoring could lead to risks of trafficking, exploitation, or forced labor. Cuffari urged ICE to take immediate action to ensure the safety of these children. The report is part of a broader audit of ICE’s ability to track unaccompanied migrant children released or transferred from U.S. custody.

Losing immigrant kids is still a major problem: "DHS watchdog warns of 'urgent issue' after immigration officials allegedly lose track of unaccompanied children. The cases in question spanned both the Trump and Biden administrations."https://t.co/1rITzFZlgi

— Austin Kocher, PhD (@ackocher) August 20, 2024

Increased Risks Amid Systemic Failures

From 2019 to 2023, over 448,000 unaccompanied migrant children were transferred from ICE to HHS. ICE officials often cannot monitor the location and status of released children. Federal judges frequently issue continuances for children who miss court dates, eventually leading to deportation orders. Many unaccompanied children represent themselves in court due to systemic issues. As of May 2024, over 291,000 unaccompanied children had not been served notices to appear or had their court dates scheduled.

“Take immediate action to ensure the safety of [unaccompanied children] residing in the United States.” – Inspector General Joseph Cuffari

ICE faces challenges such as inadequate staffing and resource constraints, impacting their ability to track and issue notices to children. The watchdog recommended developing an automated system to document court appearances and maintain address information. ICE agreed with the recommendation but noted the report did not fully articulate structural challenges in tracking migrant children.

In the past five years — more than 32,000 unaccompanied migrant children failed to appear for their immigration court hearings, and ICE was "not able to account" for all of their locations.https://t.co/was0wj9U6p

— Katherine Faulders (@KFaulders) August 20, 2024

Broader Implications and Legislative Responses

The Biden-Harris administration has reportedly lost track of up to several hundred thousand illegal immigrant children, raising concerns about risks of trafficking, exploitation, or forced labor. Senate Republicans have called for reforms in the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s (ORR) policies on unaccompanied alien children, highlighting negligence in handling these cases. Reports indicate HHS lost contact with over 85,000 migrant children in the past two years, with many working illegal, full-time jobs often in hazardous conditions.

Rep. Scott Perry emphasized the weakened safety protocols, such as removing proof of address and background check requirements, making the system more susceptible to exploitation: “Since President Biden has been in office, there have been over 4.8 million migrant encounters at the Southwest border, not including the roughly 1.3 million gotaways who evaded law enforcement completely and entered our country undetected. This unprecedented national security and humanitarian crisis has overwhelmed federal officials and endangered the well-being of unaccompanied and migrant children as a result.”

Rep. Jake LaTurner questioned the administration’s delayed response to child labor practices: “Why the Biden Administration only addressed child labor practices after a New York Times article, rather than proactively managing the issue?” With such glaring systemic issues, the immediate call for comprehensive reforms is not only necessary but urgent.