The Biden administration failed to investigate more than 7,300 reports of human trafficking involving child migrants and tens of thousands of other concerning leads, startling findings from the Department of Health and Human Services released show.  Biden was a major disgrace.

     HHS is poring over 65,605 backlogged reports from the last administration as part of an interagency probe into cases of unaccompanied migrant kids who may have been abused by sex predators or trafficked by gangs like MS-13.  Since launching the investigation in February, the department has processed 18,868 cases — but still has 1,688 of possibly fraudulent sponsors receiving the kids, 7,346 human trafficking reports and another 46,311 other tips from grantees, staff and unaccompanied minors themselves to vet.  

     So far that’s led to 528 investigative leads, 36 prosecutions taken up by US attorneys’ offices, 25 arrest warrants, 11 arrests, seven indictments and three convictions — with roughly 28% of the backlog worked through under President Trump.  My oversight exposed the Biden-Harris administration for placing unaccompanied migrant children with dangerous sponsors and actively obstructing law enforcement and Congress’ efforts to rescue vulnerable kids,” Grassley said in a statement.  “I applaud the Trump administration for its swift action to protect unaccompanied migrant children by addressing the concerning reports the Biden-Harris administration shelved. I look forward to working with Secretary Kennedy to ensure justice is served.”

     As of May 2024, at least 291,000 migrant children were presumed to be in the custody of domestic sponsors — while 32,000 were believed to be missing after failing to show up for immigration court hearings, a report from the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General found.  Internal documents showed HHS’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) ignored obvious safety risks and prioritized quickly releasing the youths — with then-HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra likening the ideal turnover rate to an “assembly line,” according to The New York Times.

     Internal documents showed HHS’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) ignored obvious safety risks and prioritized quickly releasing the youths — with then-HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra likening the ideal turnover rate to an “assembly line,” according to The New York Times.      Whistleblowers later came forward to Congress and alleged that many of the kids appear to have fallen into the hands of criminals and sex traffickers.  Grassley’s office has been investigating ORR for more than a decade and also found instances in recent years of sponsors “likely trafficking, smuggling, and exploitation” of migrant children, which he flagged to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI.