Staff Reports
On Tuesday, Representative Lance Gooden, a Republican from Texas, wrote a letter to Secretary Xavier Becerra of the Health and Human Services (HHS) department, raising concerns about the way the Biden Administration has dealt with illegal immigrant children who have been released into the United States. Gooden’s letter specifically pointed out the reported inadequate screening of sponsors responsible for unaccompanied alien children, as well as the absence of sufficient safety protocols to ensure their protection.
EXCLUSIVE: GOP Rep Questions Biden Admin Over Alleged ‘Fraud’ In Sponsorship Program For Illegal Migrant Kids https://t.co/D1RbzEFBhH
— US Burning (@UsBurning) March 1, 2023
Representative Gooden’s letter was prompted by the Biden Administration’s investigation into factories that reportedly employed illegal immigrant children in substandard conditions. Many of these children were released to sponsors who were unfamiliar or unknown to them. Due to the increase in illegal immigration over the southern border, more unaccompanied immigrant children have been observed. The number of minors encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border increased from over 33,000 in fiscal year 2020 to over 152,000 in fiscal year 2022, as per U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
To address the increased number of unaccompanied alien children encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border, the Office of Refugee Resettlement within the Health and Human Services (HHS) department eliminated a requirement in 2022 that sponsors’ immigration status or U.S. citizenship be verified. Representative Gooden has expressed apprehension about this decision, as he believes it leaves migrant children exposed to human traffickers and provides an uncomplicated gateway for criminals to enter the United States.
According to a statement made to the DCNF, Representative Gooden stated that the border crisis caused by President Biden not only poses a threat to the safety of communities but also endangers unaccompanied minors who are crossing the border by making them vulnerable to human trafficking and exploitation by criminal organizations. Gooden has called on the Health and Human Services (HHS) department to provide Congress with a plan outlining how it intends to safeguard these children’s safety and to explain the rationale behind the elimination of safety measures intended to protect them.
The Biden Administration’s handling of illegal immigration at the southern border has been nothing short of a disaster. Not only has it put our communities at risk, but it has also put innocent children in danger of being exploited by criminal cartels and human traffickers. The removal of the requirement to check a sponsor’s immigration status or U.S. citizenship is a clear failure that leaves migrant children vulnerable and provides criminals with an easy gateway into the United States.
It is outrageous that the Biden Administration has failed to put in place adequate safety measures to protect these children. Rep. Lance Gooden is right to call out HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and demand answers as to how they intend to protect these children and why they have eliminated safety measures intended to keep them safe. The Biden administration has to accept responsibility for its deeds and implement measures that will keep these kids safe.
Source: The Daily Caller
