During the Biden administration, thousands of immigrant children have reportedly been rescued from dire circumstances, including potential sex trafficking by predators after being smuggled across the US-Mexico border.
On a recent episode of Miranda Devine’s “Pod Force One” podcast, Tom Homan, a former ICE official, mentioned that agents have been working to locate scores of unaccompanied minors who are vulnerable to exploitation, particularly as they navigate various labor situations, including work on farms.
According to Homan, the problem of missing children has escalated dramatically, stating that around 300,000 children were unaccounted for during the previous administration. “We found many and saved victims of sex trafficking,” he shared. He recounted a particular case where a 14-year-old girl was rescued, already pregnant. The children often end up working instead of attending school, which is a tragic misuse of their youth.
“Some kids just didn’t respond to our calls—perhaps they were scared, not wanting to face immigration court,” he noted. This trend is likely tied to the increases in unaccompanied minors crossing the border under new enforcement policies, which have encouraged more families to send their children throughout this tumultuous period.
By now, over 500,000 children have been placed with sponsors while they wait for immigration hearings. However, a report from the Department of Homeland Security last August revealed that the administration had lost track of countless unaccompanied minors, many of whom ended up in the care of potentially dangerous sponsors who had not been adequately vetted.
Specifically, inspectors found that more than 31,000 sponsor addresses provided were either incorrect or missing key information, with one ICE official noting that thousands of children were released to individuals who were neither family members nor guardians.
In total, in 2023, over 14,500 immigrant children were released, with many placed with distant relatives or unrelated individuals. Alarmingly, of about 2,400 children released in one week of November 2023, only 1,000 were placed with actual parents or legal guardians.
Homan stated that there were troubling patterns in the types of sponsors being used, with cases where children had been released to addresses that turned out to be unsafe or linked to criminal activity. Investigations found conditions including one area with ongoing gang violence and illegal drug trade.
Addressing the Biden administration’s approach, Homan criticized the rush to process claims in order to avoid overcrowded conditions being perceived as an “optical” issue at the border. “It was about optics, not actual safety,” he remarked.
He noted that DNA testing, a practice during the Trump administration to ensure proper family connections, had been discontinued under Biden, which he argued contributed to the greater risk of trafficking, estimating that up to 30% of those claiming to be family were not related to the children they were accompanying.
Homan expressed concerns about the current climate of political discourse, specifically calling out Democratic politicians for condemning law enforcement actions while ignoring rising instances of trafficking. “Thousands of children get smuggled weekly; over half a million have been brought into the country. It’s a staggering issue,” he lamented.
“We will find these children,” Homan asserted, reaffirming a commitment reminiscent of promises made during the Trump presidency.
