Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stands at the center of a contentious debate over his handling of migrant children trafficking cases, with critics pointing fingers over alleged accountability issues.
At a Glance
- Joint congressional hearing to address migrant children trafficking concerns.
- Controversial remarks by Mayorkas about agency responsibility.
- Over 291,000 children unaccounted for without immigration court dates.
- Call for increased inter-agency coordination and accountability.
Joint Congressional Hearing
On November 19, 2024, the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement and the Subcommittee on Oversight, Accountability, and Investigations will hold a joint hearing titled “Trafficked, Exploited, and Missing: Migrant Children Victims of the Biden-Harris Administration.” Witnesses will include notable figures such as J.J. Carrell and Tara Rodas. The hearing is scheduled to take place at 310 Cannon House Office Building and aims to confront the rising concerns regarding the handling of migrant children.
Alejandro Mayorkas, DHS Secretary, has faced criticism for stating that the responsibility for migrant children ends with their transfer to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), typically within 72 hours of their arrival. This declaration has ignited a firestorm with critics arguing it typifies systemic government failures in managing child trafficking issues.
Accountability Concerns
A New York Times investigation found over 250,000 migrant children entered the U.S. alone, many being exposed to dangerous work conditions. A report from the DHS inspector general criticized ICE for failing to track unaccompanied children post-release, leaving a backlog of over 291,000 children without immigration court dates. Representative Chip Roy and Tom Homan have consistently called for increased transparency and public involvement to address these stark figures.
“We certainly have received reports of children being trafficked, even those as to whom we know where they are. That is outside the responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security. What we do is we turn children over within 72 hours, as the law requires, to the Department of Health and Human Services, and then HHS places those children.” – Alejandro Mayorkas
Moreover, an audit by the Office of Inspector General uncovered that ICE did not issue necessary notices to appear for 291,000 children, thus leaving them outside the formal immigration system without oversight.
Future Implications
There are growing calls for better inter-agency collaboration to ensure the safety and tracking of migrant children through the immigration system. With a potential change in leadership, there is hope for revised policies that do not tolerate negligence. Amid the chaos, Tara Rodas, an HHS whistleblower, revealed government hesitation in maintaining extended care for children due to potential legal repercussions, exemplifying the overarching issues within these agencies.
“I said [to the command center executives], ‘We’re getting ready to send another child [to Austin, Texas],’ and they said, ‘Tara, I think you need to understand that we only get sued if we keep kids in care too long. We don’t get sued by traffickers. Are you clear? We don’t get sued by traffickers.’ So, that was the answer of the United States federal government. HHS did not want this information to get out. They knew I had made protected disclosures and they retaliated against me as a whistleblower and had me kicked off the site so I could no longer research the cases.” – Tara Rodas
Demands for accountability and reform will likely continue, as critics look to future administrations for assurance against such perceived irresponsibility and self-interest.
Sources:
- Trafficked, Exploited, and Missing: Migrant Children Victims of the Biden-Harris Administration
- Mayorkas says child trafficking is outside DHS responsibility
- DHS Says Children Being Trafficked ‘Outside’ Its Responsibility – Newsweek
- Mayorkas: Trafficked Migrant Kids ‘Outside’ DHS Responsibility – PJ Media
