The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is launching an investigation into the handling of unaccompanied illegal immigrant children by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). The probe comes after concerns were raised that lax vetting processes may have allowed minors to end up in the care of unsuitable sponsors, including alleged predators and traffickers.
An internal HHS document details numerous instances where the ORR neglected safety protocols. The report highlights cases where sponsors used falsified or altered images to gain custody of children, with these discrepancies often overlooked by government staff. One photo included in the report depicted a poorly edited image, with a child’s mother appearing next to a man claiming custody. Another case involved a sponsor using an identity document that did not match his own.
A particularly concerning incident involved a 23-year-old posing as a minor within a federal facility, reportedly making inappropriate advances toward actual children. According to HHS sources, the former Biden government’s prioritizing speed over safety resulted in a number of failures to protect migrant minors in the care of the ORR.
Findings by the HHS Office of the Inspector General revealed serious shortcomings in sponsor evaluations, leading to potentially unsafe or exploitative conditions for the children. The report notes that rejection rates for sponsorship applications were alarmingly low, highlighting oversight deficiencies.
Despite awareness of these issues among top officials in the Biden government, meaningful corrective actions were never implemented, according to the investigation. Since May 2024, 291,000 unaccompanied minors have entered the U.S., with many released without required immigration court appearances.
Consequently, the Trump administration’s HHS aims to prevent future occurrences by reviewing and enhancing sponsor vetting procedures. Recommendations include fingerprinting, mandatory DNA testing, and improved background checks for potential sponsors.
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