Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is blasting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas after a recent report from the department revealed they have lost track of more than a quarter million unaccompanied children.
DHS has also failed to notify the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement about the missing children, according to the report.
"Your agency's failure to issue court notices to these children limits the ability to monitor their location and status," Hawley wrote in a letter to Mayorkas. "In the Inspector General's words: without such ability, there is thus 'no assurance that [the children] are safe from trafficking, exploitation, or forced labor.' "
Unaccompanied minors released from initial intake are provided with notices to appear in immigration court so their cases can be heard. But the notices can only be provided if DHS knows where the children are.
According to the Inspector General's report, as of May 2024, DHS has failed to provide court notices to at least 291,000 unaccompanied children. DHS was also not able to account for the location of 32,000 unaccompanied children who did not receive court notices and failed to appear in immigration court.
"Not only did your agency lose track of these children, it didn't even bother to tell anyone," Hawley wrote. "That is unconscionable."
In his letter, Hawley demanded Mayorkas tell him where in the United States DHS believes the 291,000 unaccompanied children are, and why hundreds of thousands of children did not receive appropriate court notices.
"What is your agency doing to track down the location of these children and ensure their safety?" Hawley asked. "What internal policy or personnel led to your agency's failure to communicate missing unaccompanied minor children with the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement?"