U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has sent a pointed letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, raising alarm over a recent report from DHS’s Inspector General. The report highlights significant failures within the agency concerning the protection of unaccompanied migrant children.
The Inspector General’s report reveals that DHS may have lost track of more than a quarter million unaccompanied children, and in some cases, failed to notify other agencies of their whereabouts. This lack of coordination has raised serious concerns about the safety and well-being of these vulnerable children.
“As the report explains, your agency’s failure to issue court notices to these children limits the ability to monitor their location and status,” Senator Hawley stated in his letter. He further emphasized the Inspector General’s assessment that, without proper monitoring, “there is thus no assurance that [the children] are safe from trafficking, exploitation, or forced labor.”
Senator Hawley demanded that Secretary Mayorkas provide immediate and comprehensive public answers regarding the impact of the DHS’s current immigration policies on the safety of these children, who may now be at risk of falling into the hands of child labor criminals.
This is not the first time Senator Hawley has addressed concerns regarding the treatment and safety of unaccompanied migrant children. Last October, he pressed Secretary Mayorkas on whistleblower claims that the Biden-Harris administration had diverted agents from child exploitation cases to handle non-law enforcement duties at the southern border. Additionally, in April, Senator Hawley called on the FBI to launch a full-scale effort to locate missing migrant children and to bring those responsible for child labor crimes to justice. His concerns were heightened following a report by the New York Times that 85,000 children had gone missing under the Biden Administration’s watch.
The full text of Senator Hawley’s letter can be read here.
