Administration’s Cover-up of Missing Migrant Children Now Top of Mind in Congress

Many months ago, it came to light that this administration had lost track of hundreds of migrant children who had come across the border.

At the time, the story got very little juice in the media.

Congressional Republicans are stirring that pot again, however, hoping to hold Harris accountable for the scandal during the election cycle.

They’re Gone

Republicans are now demanding answers on the locations of all children who have come across the border since 2021.

Senator Grassley (R-IA), who has been a bulldog against this administration, has stated that his administration has failed these children "by rushing them out of the custody of your Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) into the hands of unvetted sponsors who often continue to exploit and abuse them."

Since 2021, it has been reported that roughly 500,000 unaccompanied minors have crossed the border.

When this happens, HHS is tasked with finding a family member in the country to sponsor the child, then the child is released to that family member.

According to Grassley, the Biden administration scaled back vetting these “sponsors,” which he now believes has led to many of these children falling victim to child labor and human trafficking.

This issue first came to light in 2023 when the New York Times did an explosive report that found 85,000 minors had been lost in the system, with HHS having no way to track them down.

As the time HHS Secretary Becerra called that number “unrealistic,” but he offered no evidence to the contrary, only stating, “What we do is we try and follow up as best we can with these kids."

The letter by Grassley stated that HHS ORR is "actively attempting to cover up the results of its egregious decisions.”

It continues, "By not supplying the information law enforcement requested, ORR denied Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents critical information, including the last known addresses of children and sponsors and the identity of other household members.”

I remember when the initial report hit. Everyone was shocked, but as is typical with a Democrat scandal, it only stayed in the news cycle for a day or two before it disappeared.

The White House responded to Grassley’s letter in typical denying fashion, stating, "The Administration has taken action to protect unaccompanied children through exacting sponsor vetting for those caring for unaccompanied children and post-release services for all children in sponsor care.

“HHS is also implementing the strongest rule to protect unaccompanied children ever through the Foundational Rule on Unaccompanied Children, which further implements detailed policies and procedures providing for the safe and timely release of unaccompanied children to vetted and approved sponsors, requiring background and criminal records checks for all sponsors and adults residing in the potential sponsor’s household, strengthened post-release services to ensure child well-being and immigration compliance, and enhanced standards for private care facilities that house unaccompanied children.

"It is outrageous that Republican Members of Congress are trying to end these protections for children through use of the Congressional Review Act to repeal this critical rule.”

Translation: We say Republicans are lying, so that is what you will print.

As I have stated before, at some point, all the hidden scandals from this administration will come out. I just hope I am alive long enough to see so I can give everyone a big fat, “I told you so.”