WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Center for Immigration Studies has found that the government lost track of nearly half the unaccompanied illegal-alien minors released to “sponsors” during the first two years of the Biden administration.
The data, obtained by the Center for Immigration Studies through the Freedom of Information Act, builds on earlier oversight work by Congress and the DHS Inspector General. It shows, down to the level of zip codes, how the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) lost contact with about 48 percent of the unaccompanied alien children (UACs) whom it had transferred to sponsors (in compliance with the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, TVPRA) during Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022.
“Losing track of thousands of children demands transparency and accountability. The Trump administration’s effort to find those lost under its predecessor is an essential step toward restoring both,” said Colin Farnsworth, the Center’s Chief FOIA Counsel.
Key findings:
- During Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022, HHS transferred 235,249 UACs to sponsors across the U.S.
- HHS lost contact and could not determine the safety status of 112,872 children — about 48 percent of all those released.
- Under HHS policy, care providers are required to conduct a “Safety and Well-Being Follow-Up Call” within 30 days to confirm that children remain safe, enrolled in school, and aware of court dates.
- Despite widespread failures, the UAC sponsorship program continued with little to no change in oversight.
- Reports in 2023 revealed that many UACs placed with sponsors were exploited for labor, trafficked, or living in unsafe conditions.
- CIS continues to litigate for additional data showing where missing children were last located and what types of sponsors were involved.
- States with the most missing UACs: Texas, Illinois, Tennessee, New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Florida, and Georgia.
Click this link to see the raw data CIS recently obtained, which includes the total number of UACs missing from each zip code in the United States. |
