Trump Administration Locates Over 145,000 Previously Missing Unaccompanied Migrant Children Lost Under Biden
Federal officials have located more than 145,000 minors who entered the United States without parents or guardians and were previously unaccounted for under the Biden administration.
The discovery follows a report from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General in August 2024, which identified systemic failures in tracking unaccompanied minors.
The report found that over 323,000 children had not been properly registered, and tens of thousands had either not received court notices or failed to appear for immigration proceedings.
Former federal official Tara Rodas attributed the missing children issue to both lax border enforcement and internal mismanagement within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
She noted that releasing minors to sponsors without thorough vetting created opportunities for exploitation, trafficking, and abuse.
“Under the leadership of President Donald Trump, he first secured the border, which absolutely cut down on the flow and in the child trafficking economy,” Rodas said, emphasizing that strong border security is the first step in safeguarding unaccompanied minors.
Rodas said reform efforts focused next on the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), the HHS division responsible for placing minors with sponsors.
Leadership failures within ORR had allowed children to disappear from oversight, leaving them vulnerable to criminal networks.
Senior advisor John Fabbricatore and acting ORR Director Angie Salazar were credited with overhauling operations to prioritize accountability and coordination with law enforcement.
Under their leadership, structured follow-up procedures, interagency communication, and direct welfare checks were implemented to ensure minors remained safe after placement
The discovery follows a report from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General in August 2024, which identified systemic failures in tracking unaccompanied minors.
The report found that over 323,000 children had not been properly registered, and tens of thousands had either not received court notices or failed to appear for immigration proceedings.
Former federal official Tara Rodas attributed the missing children issue to both lax border enforcement and internal mismanagement within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
She noted that releasing minors to sponsors without thorough vetting created opportunities for exploitation, trafficking, and abuse.
“Under the leadership of President Donald Trump, he first secured the border, which absolutely cut down on the flow and in the child trafficking economy,” Rodas said, emphasizing that strong border security is the first step in safeguarding unaccompanied minors.
Rodas said reform efforts focused next on the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), the HHS division responsible for placing minors with sponsors.
Leadership failures within ORR had allowed children to disappear from oversight, leaving them vulnerable to criminal networks.
Senior advisor John Fabbricatore and acting ORR Director Angie Salazar were credited with overhauling operations to prioritize accountability and coordination with law enforcement.
Under their leadership, structured follow-up procedures, interagency communication, and direct welfare checks were implemented to ensure minors remained safe after placement
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