A recent report from a federal watchdog reveals alarming lapses in the Biden administration’s handling of unaccompanied minors who crossed the southern border in 2021. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) failed to conduct adequate vetting and monitoring of homes where these children were placed, raising serious concerns about the safety and well-being of these vulnerable individuals.
The HHS Office of Inspector General’s findings indicate that the department neglected basic safety checks on adults volunteering to take in unaccompanied minors, such as address and criminal background checks. In approximately one-third of the cases examined, the agency lacked legible documentation for the adults involved. The federal health agency defended itself, attributing the lapses to the challenges posed by an “unprecedented influx” and claiming subsequent improvements in the process, including enhanced training for personnel handling migrant children.
These oversights are deeply troubling, as they involve placing minors into homes without essential safety measures. While the Department of Homeland Security’s failure to track released adult illegal aliens is concerning, mishandling the placement of unaccompanied children compounds the issue. Procedures intended to protect minors, including obtaining IDs for adult sponsors, were inadequately enforced. Illegible IDs, potential forgeries, and a lack of background and address checks in 16% of cases signify a severe lapse in basic safety protocols.
In over 30% of cases, the HHS failed to follow up on the children it placed, leaving them unmonitored for months. The agency’s commitment to a follow-up call between 30 to 37 days after placement often fell short, taking an average of 122 days for a caseworker to reach out. This negligence puts the well-being of these children at risk, leaving them vulnerable to potential exploitation and abuse.
The situation mirrors human trafficking and child slavery, with the Biden administration seemingly oblivious to the plight of these young individuals. An audit by the HHS Department revealed concerns about minors being sponsored by strangers who could exploit them for child labor. The number of unaccompanied minors placed with distant relatives or nonfamily sponsors increased, indicating a rise in potential risks for these vulnerable children.
The numbers highlight the gravity of the issue, with more than 600,000 unaccompanied migrant children released by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) since 2012. Over a third of these releases occurred under the Biden administration, totaling 138,917 in 2021 alone. The failure to secure the southern border and ensure proper handling of unaccompanied minors underscores the need for a new approach to border security, with hopes resting on a Republican president in the November presidential election to bring about effective change.
