EXCLUSIVE — Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) is demanding answers from Biden administration officials regarding the loss of 150,000 unaccompanied migrant children.
In a letter addressed to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, he sought answers to questions regarding Unaccompanied Alien Children, or UACs, and demanded the prevention of the destruction of any relevant documents.
Roy wrote that not only could the UACs be in danger, but due to poor vetting, some could be a danger to other citizens. In addition to the 150,000 unaccounted-for UACs, he noted that Immigration and Customs Enforcement failed to serve notices to appear in immigration court to over 320,000 UACs, “which limited ICE’s chance of contacting UACs when they leave HHS custody, thus reducing opportunities to verify their safety.”
“These troubling reports warrant scrupulous oversight. This letter serves as a formal request that you preserve all existing and future records and materials relating to HHS, ORR, and DHS policies regarding UACs since January 20, 2021. Specifically, I request that you take all reasonable steps to prevent the destruction of all documents, communications, and other information, including electronic information, that are or may be responsive to this congressional inquiry,” Roy added.
The requested information includes whether the number of unaccounted-for UACs has increased, how many UACs have been rescued in human trafficking operations, correspondence with nongovernmental organizations tasked with placing UACs, and the criminal records of any UACs.
HHS hasn’t been forthcoming with the information on UAC publicly. A public records lawsuit from the Center for Immigration Studies revealed that the agency said it could take anywhere from three to seven years to release the data.
Despite not getting the full picture, troubling data about the U.S. immigration system’s handling of migrant children have trickled through.
A February 2024 audit by the HHS Office of Inspector General found the agency failed to conduct timely well-being follow-up calls for 22% of children placed with sponsors, 16% of case files lacked proof that sponsors underwent safety checks, and 19% of children were released to adults before FBI fingerprint and state child abuse registries shared results with the government about the sponsors.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Republicans have been requesting further information on the matter for months. In August, senior Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee sent the Department of Health and Human Services a letter requesting data from its Office of Refugee Resettlement regarding its handling of UACs.
Among the record number of migrants crossing the southern border during President Joe Biden’s tenure were 500,000 UACs, a record of its own. Of these, 430,000 were released to adults in the United States, with the rest being sent home.