Senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, addressed the Senate on January 14, 2026, to highlight cases of abuse and exploitation suffered by unaccompanied migrant children under the current administration’s policies. Grassley emphasized his longstanding oversight of government management of migrant children, stating that both Republican and Democrat administrations have faced scrutiny over these issues.
Grassley described failures in the vetting process for adults receiving custody of unaccompanied minors during the Biden administration. He said, “During the Biden administration, the vetting process to safeguard these children barely existed – putting them in harm’s way.” Grassley presented public records from previous investigations showing several cases where sponsors exploited or abused migrant children after being placed in their care.
In one example cited by Grassley, a sponsor who claimed to be a father allegedly assaulted two brothers regularly and withheld their wages to pay smuggling fees. The sponsor reportedly had a violent criminal history that fingerprinting checks could have revealed. “The brothers’ sponsor also reportedly withheld the wages that the brothers earned, so that smuggling fees to get into this country could be paid,” he stated.
A second case involved another individual posing as a father who forced one child to sell drugs and had prior convictions for fraud. According to Grassley: “This sponsor reportedly later kidnapped his wife for 24 hours and threatened to kill her.” In both instances, Health and Human Services removed the children from these sponsors and forwarded evidence to law enforcement.
A third case concerned a four-year-old boy released to someone claiming paternity through fraudulent documents. The investigation revealed collusion between this person and the boy’s biological mother using a false birth certificate.
Grassley credited new policies introduced during the Trump administration with improving safeguards for unaccompanied minors: “Now, any sponsor of a migrant child claiming to be a biological parent should undergo DNA testing to confirm that they’re actually related.” He also noted enhanced fingerprint background checks designed to identify criminal histories among potential sponsors.
He argued that prioritizing speed over safety contributed to these outcomes: “Sadly, these stories were all but inevitable because the Biden-HHS prioritized speed – getting these people out of the immigration system...that speed was prioritized over the safety of the children.”
Grassley acknowledged cooperation from officials at Health and Human Services in implementing new verification procedures: “Specifically, I appreciate the cooperation from Secretary Kennedy, Assistant Secretary Adams and Director Salazar of the Office of Refugee Resettlement.”
He concluded by saying his committee would continue its oversight efforts: “More can always be done to safeguard the welfare of vulnerable children. For these reasons, my oversight will continue.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee plays an important role in federal judicial matters including legislative review and agency oversight (https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/). It is responsible for supervising law enforcement entities as well as evaluating candidates for federal judicial roles (https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/). The committee has authority over legal matters affecting constitutional rights and public safety nationwide (https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/).
As chairperson overseeing meetings with bipartisan participation (https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/), Senator Grassley's remarks reflect ongoing concerns within Congress regarding protections for unaccompanied migrant children under U.S. care.
