Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) has revealed that "more than 400,000 children" have been brought into the United States, many of whom have suffered abuse at the hands of cartels. Blackburn made this announcement on April 17.

"More than 400,000 vulnerable children — many of them recycled and abused by cartels — have been brought over our wide open border,” said Sen. Blackburn," said Blackburn, US Senator, according to X. "Biden and Secretary Mayorkas's open border policies are inhumane."

According to a report by The New York Times in December 2023, since 2021, a record number of over 400,000 migrant children have arrived in the US unaccompanied and often fleeing extreme poverty. The report stated that a majority of these children end up with non-parent sponsors and work full-time in dangerous jobs, thereby violating labor laws.

Sen. Blackburn X | X (Twitter)

CBS News reported that the total number of migrant children in fiscal year 2022 alone surpassed the 122,000 unaccompanied alien children (UACs) who received federal shelter the previous year.

During a hearing led by the House Committee on Homeland Security in 2023, Representative Dale Strong stated that "in 2022 alone immigration authorities encountered 152,000 unaccompanied minors, an all-time high." Strong further added that "many of these children who enter the U.S. illegally will be put at risk of sexual exploitation. In fact, it’s estimated that 72% of those trafficked in the U.S. are immigrants."

According to her website, Senator Blackburn was elected to the US Senate in 2018. She represents Tennessee and is currently serving her first term. Prior to this role, she served as the representative for Tennessee's 7th Congressional District.