Washington, D.C. (March 20, 2024) – The Center for Immigration Studies has uncovered, through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, a 12-month, $404 million contract between the U.S. government and a private entity, which in part pays to transport unaccompanied alien children (UACs) from shelters run by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) in the Department of Health and Human Services to their sponsors in the United States.
The 119-page contract failed to detail how “care provider escorts” would identify the “sponsors” they were giving the kids to or how they would assess whether those vulnerable children would be safe. The lack of detailed provisions within the contract regarding this identification and assessment of sponsors highlights systemic deficiencies in the Biden administration UAC policies.
The Center’s investigation traces the evolution of UAC legislation, showing loopholes that incentivize illicit practices such as human trafficking and that effectively force taxpayers to fund, in part, criminal conspiracies to smuggle children to this country. Despite the well-intentioned origins of relevant laws, including the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization of 2008, they have created opportunities for exploitation.
Andrew Arthur, the Center’s fellow in law and policy, emphasized, “As taxpayers, it is our duty to closely examine government actions that could perpetuate criminal activities and endanger the lives of innocent children. Current policies incentivize the trafficking of children to the United States, where their safety and well-being are not being adequately prioritized.”
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