Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement Chairman Clay Higgins (R-La.) addressed a hearing focused on the Biden administration's handling of unaccompanied migrant children. The hearing, titled "Catch and Release, Lose and Forget: Addressing the Crisis of Unaccompanied Alien Children – Part I," was held in Washington.
Chairman Higgins expressed concerns over the treatment of vulnerable unaccompanied alien children, citing a report by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Inspector General. The report indicated that both DHS and the Department of Health and Human Services had not adequately safeguarded these children. Higgins praised the Trump administration for adopting recommendations from the Inspector General and called for immediate measures to protect these minors.
During his remarks, Higgins highlighted that nearly 448,000 unaccompanied alien children entered the United States illegally over four years. He attributed their trafficking and exploitation to what he described as open border policies under President Biden.
He also noted past failures in tracking and processing these minors, leading to their vulnerability within a system meant to protect them. Higgins criticized previous administrative policies while commending efforts made during Trump's presidency to secure borders.
The report found that some vulnerable children faced trafficking and forced labor, while others were older teens with criminal backgrounds. With ICE staff limited in number, monitoring millions of non-detained cases has proven challenging.
Higgins mentioned that around 300,000 children have pending court appearances without served notices, including 58,000 under age 12 whose whereabouts remain unknown.
"I am glad that ICE under President Trump has accepted all of the IG’s recommendations contained in the report," stated Higgins as he anticipated further testimony from Inspector General Cuffari on this matter.
