Republican lawmakers have launched a scathing attack on the Biden-Harris administration's management of unaccompanied migrant children entering the United States.
According to a report by Fox News, dozens of Senate and House Republicans have accused the administration of a "cover-up" regarding the care and tracking of these children.
The criticism comes in the wake of a Department of Homeland Security Inspector General report that found tens of thousands of migrant children were unaccounted for after entering the country.
The lawmakers penned a lengthy letter to President Biden and Vice President Harris, led by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa. They allege that the administration's policies have led to the potential exploitation of migrant children by rushing them out of government custody into the hands of unvetted sponsors.
The Republican legislators claim that the Biden administration has scaled back background checks and vetting procedures for potential sponsors of unaccompanied migrant children. This move, they argue, was part of an effort to expedite the process of placing children with sponsors.
The letter also accuses the administration of limiting familial DNA testing and abandoning Trump-era proposals for post-release check-ups on children placed with sponsors. These actions, according to the lawmakers, have potentially put migrant children at risk.
However, a senior administration official refuted these claims, stating that allegations of ending familial DNA testing are "categorically false." The official emphasized that migrants between 14 and 79 years old are tested at intake unless exempted.
The lawmakers' criticism was partly fueled by a New York Times report from the previous year, which revealed that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had lost contact with 85,000 minors and immediate contact with a third of them.
Senator Grassley and his colleagues accused HHS of attempting to cover up the results of its decisions to roll back vetting procedures. They also alleged that the administration has been silencing whistleblowers who have raised concerns about these issues. The lawmakers stated:
HHS must stop its cover-up and cooperate with law enforcement and Congress to end this crisis and protect unaccompanied children and the American people.
In response to the letter, the White House defended its policies and actions regarding unaccompanied migrant children. A spokesperson emphasized the administration's efforts to protect these children through rigorous sponsor vetting and post-release services.
The White House representative stated:
The Administration has taken action to protect unaccompanied children through exacting sponsor vetting for those caring for unaccompanied children and post-release services for all children in sponsor care.
The spokesperson also highlighted the implementation of what they called "the strongest rule to protect unaccompanied children ever" through the Foundational Rule on Unaccompanied Children.
Republican lawmakers are criticizing the Biden-Harris administration for allegedly mishandling unaccompanied migrant children entering the U.S. since 2021, claiming that many have been placed with unvetted sponsors, leading to exploitation. Led by Senator Chuck Grassley, they accuse the administration of rolling back safety measures like background checks and obstructing investigations into child trafficking. The White House denies these claims, citing strong vetting processes and protections in place for migrant children, while the immigration issue remains a major political topic ahead of the 2024 election.
