Latest news with #Cuffari
Gulf Insider
3 days ago
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
DHS Says 233,000 Unaccompanied Children Were Lost During Biden Presidency
More than 230,000 unaccompanied minors were released from immigration custody into the U.S. during the Biden administration and subsequently became unaccounted for, according to the Department of Homeland Security. DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari testified in front of the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday. He said 31,000 children were sent to invalid home addresses in the U.S. and that sponsors were not properly vetted before the unaccompanied children were released to them. The Oversight panel was called to review the findings of a March 2025 report by DHS that found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is unable to track the status of all unaccompanied minors currently in the U.S. The report's findings 'reveal significant gaps' in ICE's management of these children, Cuffari testified. 'This is not simply an administrative problem,' Cuffari said. 'It's a systemic breakdown that poses grave risks to unaccompanied alien children (UACs) and the integrity of our legal immigration system.' DHS's report found that more than 43,000 of these children failed to appear for court hearings and can no longer be tracked by ICE. The report said these children are 'considered at higher risk for trafficking, exploitation or forced labor.' 'The findings are a double-edged sword,' Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., said during the hearing. 'While some vulnerable children have likely been trafficked, exploited and subject to forced labor, the report also found other older teens that were convicted criminals and gang members.' Cuffari testified that a team of special agents was set up by ICE in February to locate and carry out welfare and health checks on unaccompanied minors who have been lost by DHS and the Department of Health and Human Services. With assistance from the FBI and U.S. Marshals, the unit has visited 50,000 homes so far to locate 200,000 children, Cuffari said. Democrats on the panel pushed back against the Trump administration's 'reckless' immigration initiatives and argued that DHS has increasingly targeted children in its deportation efforts. 'Are these little kids the dangerous criminals Trump vowed to go after?' Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., said. The panel's meeting is the first in a series of hearings that will examine past shortcomings of DHS, determine how the U.S. immigration system can be reformed to locate and better monitor unaccompanied minors and establish how DHS and HHS can work together effectively on this issue.
UPI
6 days ago
- Politics
- UPI
DHS inspector general: 448,000 unaccompanied kids transferred under Biden
Joseph Cuffari, inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security, prepares to testify to the House Subcommittee on Law Enforcement on Wednesday on Capital Hill in Washington. Photo by Angeles Ponpa/Medill News Service WASHINGTON, July 23 (UPI) -- Thousands of unaccompanied migrant children went missing in the United States in recent years after they were released to their sponsors, the Department of Homeland Security inspector general told a congressional subcommittee Wednesday. These children were among more than 448,000 unaccompanied migrant children transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services between 2021 and 2024, according to government figures. Testifying before the House Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement, DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari said the government had not reliably tracked children after their release from custody, leaving them vulnerable to labor exploitation, human trafficking and other abuses. "Our review found that DHS and ICE lacked the ability to monitor or reliably determine the location of unaccompanied children after transfer to HHS," Cuffari said. "As a result, children have been released into situations where they are unaccounted for or placed at risk." According to his written testimony, some 300,000 of those unaccompanied migrant children failed to appear for their immigration court proceedings as of September. Nearly 58,000 of them were under 12. Cuffari told lawmakers that Immigration Customs Enforcement and Department of Homeland Security lacked sufficient coordination with HHS, and said agencies released some children to sponsors with missing address information or no familial connection. "In many cases, we found missing sponsor addresses, sponsors with no known relation to the child and some sponsors housing multiple children without adequate oversight," he said. Cuffari described a February 2025 enforcement initiative in which ICE reviewed approximately 50,000 sponsor addresses. Of those, only 12,347 children were located. Additionally,403 sponsors were arrested, many on charges related to immigration fraud or child endangerment. Cuffari emphasized that the federal government lacks the personnel and resources to fix the problems with unaccompanied minor children, especially those who have been released to sponsors beyond the scope of federal monitoring. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa, condemned conditions in child detention facilities. "We are detaining, warehousing and denying children basic human rights, food, clean water, attorneys, and then wondering why they disappear." Republicans on the panel used the testimony to fault the Biden administration for what they described as a breakdown in accountability. "In 2021, DHS under [Alejandro] Mayorkas removed ICE vetting and handed the reins to HHS," said Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., asked whether criminal charges should be considered. "What would it take to investigate Secretary Mayorkas for child endangerment? Thirty thousand missing kids isn't enough?" Democrats redirected criticism toward policies enacted under the Trump administration, highlighting the long-term effects of the children sent to detention centers. "These children are shackled," said Rep. Lateefah Simon, D-Calif. "The physical and mental health and long-term trauma will exacerbate their pre-existing conditions to the trauma of their detention by our government."
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Feds lost track of tens of thousands of unaccompanied alien children after release: DHS OIG report
In a new report, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) inspector general found that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is unable to effectively monitor the location and status of each unaccompanied alien child (UAC) who comes into the U.S. illegally and is released from custody. Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari said in the report that between fiscal years 2019 and 2023, ICE transferred over 448,000 UACs into the custody of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. From there, most of the UACs were released to sponsors. But over 31,000 of those 448,000 children were released to addresses that were left blank, had missing apartment numbers or were undeliverable. The IG also noted that ICE did not always know the location of UACs who fled while in HHS custody. Chicago Mayor Fires Back At Border Czar's 'Reprehensible' Threats To Prosecute Him Over Ice Raids Cuffari said an investigation into the matter found ICE did not issue notices to appear (NTA) to all UACs, which would have generated assignment of immigration court dates by the Department of Justice (DOJ), and as of January this year, it had not served NTAs on over 233,000 unaccompanied children. Read On The Fox News App Of the UACs who were served NTAs before October 2024, over 43,000 failed to appear for their scheduled court dates. The report also found that ICE was not always notified about the safety or status of the children unless it received a tip. However, those issues, the IG said, happened because ICE was not always notified about the locations of sponsors by other federal agencies. Fed Agencies Released Noncitizens Without Id Into Us, Allowed Them To Board Domestic Flights: Dhs Oig Report Cuffari acknowledged staffing to be able to monitor each UAC was limited, and without that ability, there was no assurance the children were safe from trafficking, exploitation, forced labor or criminal activity. 'Political Stunt': Critics Dismiss Harris' Expected Arizona Border Visit As Immigration Remains Top Issue Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Tex., brought up the crisis involving unaccompanied alien minors during a House Homeland Security Committee Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement hearing on March 25. He was told that during the Biden administration, HHS lost track of many of the minors and that some were subjected to trafficking, child labor and other things. "The Biden administration's total failure at the border had disastrous consequences, and it's shameful that even innocent, unaccompanied children were caught in the crosshairs," Gonzales told FOX News. "The fact that we can't locate tens of thousands of these minors in the U.S. is completely unacceptable, as it's likely that many of these children have ended up in dangerous situations. Not having answers is unacceptable, and it's past time to put our heads together to fix this problem for good."Original article source: Feds lost track of tens of thousands of unaccompanied alien children after release: DHS OIG report
Fox News
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Feds lost track of tens of thousands of unaccompanied alien children after release: DHS OIG report
In a new report, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) inspector general found that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is unable to effectively monitor the location and status of each unaccompanied alien child (UAC) who comes into the U.S. illegally and is released from custody. Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari said in the report that between fiscal years 2019 and 2023, ICE transferred over 448,000 UACs into the custody of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. From there, most of the UACs were released to sponsors. But over 31,000 of those 448,000 children were released to addresses that were left blank, had missing apartment numbers or were undeliverable. The IG also noted that ICE did not always know the location of UACs who fled while in HHS custody. Cuffari said an investigation into the matter found ICE did not issue notices to appear (NTA) to all UACs, which would have generated assignment of immigration court dates by the Department of Justice (DOJ), and as of January this year, it had not served NTAs on over 233,000 unaccompanied children. Of the UACs who were served NTAs before October 2024, over 43,000 failed to appear for their scheduled court dates. The report also found that ICE was not always notified about the safety or status of the children unless it received a tip. However, those issues, the IG said, happened because ICE was not always notified about the locations of sponsors by other federal agencies. Cuffari acknowledged staffing to be able to monitor each UAC was limited, and without that ability, there was no assurance the children were safe from trafficking, exploitation, forced labor or criminal activity. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Tex., brought up the crisis involving unaccompanied alien minors during a House Homeland Security Committee Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement hearing on March 25. He was told that during the Biden administration, HHS lost track of many of the minors and that some were subjected to trafficking, child labor and other things. "The Biden administration's total failure at the border had disastrous consequences, and it's shameful that even innocent, unaccompanied children were caught in the crosshairs," Gonzales told FOX News. "The fact that we can't locate tens of thousands of these minors in the U.S. is completely unacceptable, as it's likely that many of these children have ended up in dangerous situations. Not having answers is unacceptable, and it's past time to put our heads together to fix this problem for good."
