DHS Secretary Mullin: The Trump administration identified over 146,000 migrant children who were missing during the Biden administration.

June 13, 2026

Child Migration Crisis Under Scrutiny

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that during the Biden administration, around 146,000 unaccompanied minors have been located after going missing while crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. However, it’s alarming that nearly 300,000 children remain unaccounted for.

“We’ve found 146,000 children so far. 146,000 children. Nearly 300,000 children are still missing. As we begin to dig into these cases and hear about the absolutely horrific events that occurred under the Biden administration, starting with real neglect at best and criminality at worst, 450,000 children are missing across this country,” commented Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullin at a press conference.

Throughout these years, federal authorities have dealt with over 10 million migrants at the southern border, including more than 500,000 unaccompanied minors. After their initial processing by DHS, these children were either released or transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); others were placed with adult sponsors as they awaited their immigration court hearings.

However, while HHS is legally bound to vet these adult sponsors, a significant gap in this system has been exposed. According to an audit from HHS’s Office of Inspector General in February 2024, at least 16% of the cases lacked proof that required safety screenings were conducted. Moreover, it was noted that nearly 19% of the children were released before receiving the mandated FBI fingerprint background checks.

The current administration alleges that these oversights demonstrate a fundamental flaw in the review system, allowing wrongdoers to take advantage of the situation. Former Biden officials deny this, but there’s a concerning reality that a number of these children are genuinely missing and in danger.

Officials reiterated that human trafficking rings are exploiting the weaknesses in the Biden administration’s review process, posing as fraudulent sponsors. Unfortunately, some children effectively vanished while under federal oversight, being subjected to illegal labor, exploitation, and various forms of abuse.

“As a father of six children with three girls, I’m going to do whatever I have to do. I’ll move heaven and hell to find these kids,” remarked Secretary Mullin.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche highlighted the severe ramifications of child trafficking, citing a newly unsealed federal indictment against three Guatemalan adults charged with multiple crimes related to child smuggling and trafficking.

“Criminals claiming to be sponsors trafficked these children to the border, often using fraud to do so. The children were frequently subjected to abuse and exploitation. In certain cases, individuals sponsored multiple children, lying to officials about their relationships. They used false identities to gain custody,” explained Blanche.

Senator Chuck Grassley praised the efforts aimed at finding missing minors and holding corrupt sponsors accountable. He reflected on his long-standing efforts to bring attention to child trafficking issues, mentioning that many of his colleagues seemingly ignored the evidence.

“I spent years sharing whistleblower evidence of migrant child trafficking with the Biden administration while my Democratic colleagues turned a blind eye,” Grassley stated.

DHS officials concluded the briefing by assuring that task forces are actively searching for the remaining 300,000 unaccompanied migrant children still missing.