Missing Migrant Children Found Under Biden Administration
Tom Homan, the former acting director of ICE during the Trump administration, stated on Friday that federal authorities have located many of the migrant children who went missing under President Biden’s administration.
During a segment on Fox News, Homan discussed recent data revealing progress in locating these children amid ongoing immigration challenges.
“Out of the reported 300,000 children, we’ve managed to find over 23,000,” Homan mentioned. He emphasized this as a significant achievement, particularly highlighting that the previous administration, which he believes neglected these cases, did not actively seek them out.
“Finding 23,000 from that total is a positive step. President Trump is dedicated to continuing this effort until we track down every single one or exhaust all possible leads,” he added.
The 300,000 figure originates from a government report on unaccompanied immigrant children released in 2024, which indicated that about 32,000 of these children did not attend immigration court hearings between 2019 and 2023. Additionally, it noted that 291,000 children faced similar court issues.
Critics argue that these children are not truly ‘missing’ but rather caught up in bureaucratic problems. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick from the American Immigration Council explained, “It doesn’t necessarily indicate something harmful occurred. It just means a court hearing was missed.”
That said, Reichlin-Melnick has acknowledged that some of these children may be at increased risk for human trafficking and abuse, as indicated in the 2024 report.
Homan also noted that the Department of Homeland Security stated that deportation numbers reached 350,000 under the Trump presidency.
Officials asserted, “President Trump and his administration tackled these challenges head-on over the past four years. Despite facing numerous judicial obstacles, ICE, CBP, and the Coast Guard have made significant strides in fulfilling the president’s promise to address illegal immigration.” They also mentioned a substantial reduction in travel through Panama’s Darien Gap.
