In recent years, the United States has experienced a significant increase in the number of unaccompanied alien children crossing its southern border. Many of these children were released to sponsors in the U.S. without adequate vetting, leading to instances where they faced physical abuse and sexual and labor exploitation.
In February 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), along with federal and state partners, initiated a national child welfare program aimed at ensuring the safety of these vulnerable children. ICE spokesperson Laszlo Baksay emphasized the importance of children's safety: “Children’s safety and security is nonnegotiable.”
The initiative has revealed troubling cases where sponsors possessed child sexual abuse material or forced minors into labor. Some sponsors subjected children to neglectful living conditions or had committed serious crimes such as hit-and-run, aggravated assault, larceny, counterfeiting, drug trafficking, prostitution, and attempted murder.
Particularly concerning are cases where girls became pregnant by their alleged sponsors, underscoring failures in previous vetting procedures. Baksay criticized past policies: “Our agents are doing what should’ve been done all along: protecting children...”
ICE's Homeland Security Investigations special agents have been conducting welfare checks to ensure that unaccompanied alien children receive proper care and are not being trafficked or abused. These checks focus on child welfare rather than immigration enforcement. However, if individuals are found to be in the U.S. illegally during these checks, they may be taken into custody.
Baksay urged media outlets to prioritize facts over political narratives: “This is about the lives of children...” DHS remains committed to protecting children under existing laws such as the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008.
The CBP Home App offers parents who are illegally in the country an opportunity for self-deportation with potential legal return options.
For more information on unaccompanied alien children's care requirements under U.S. law, visit https://acf.gov/orr.
