The America First Legal Foundation has stated that 85,000 unaccompanied migrant children are missing and could be victims of cartel human trafficking operations. The organization made this statement in a post on X on July 29.
"85,000+ unaccompanied alien children, many of which who have been human trafficked by cartels, have gone missing in the U.S. at the hands of Border Czar Harris," said Stephen Miller, President.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, 81,850 unaccompanied minors have entered the United States in Fiscal Year 2024 to date.
America First Legal's Post on X.
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In a GOP Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee roundtable on July 9, Dr. Jarrod Sadulski, a criminology expert, said unaccompanied migrant children are placed by the federal government's Unaccompanied Children Program, often with individuals posing as sponsors or family members. Sadulski explained that the intention of these "sponsors" is to exploit the children. He attributed these circumstances to a "history of inadequately vetted staff having access to children without background checks and security clearances." Sadulski emphasized the need for reform: "There is an urgent need to reform the UC program to mitigate further exploitation and trafficking of children."
Sadulski noted that these sponsors are frequently affiliated with or used by dangerous criminal organizations. "Cartels target migrant children for the purpose of exploiting them into the United States through the unaccompanied children program," he said. One example given in his testimony involved unaccompanied children being placed in the care of a member of MS-13.
The America First Legal Foundation was founded by Stephen Miller, former Senior Advisor to President Trump, according to their website. The foundation is dedicated to upholding America's founding principles through legislative action and policy.
