Kennedy, Grassley demand Biden-Harris admin hold HHS accountable for unaccompanied migrant children

WASHINGTON - Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and a bicameral group of more than 42 colleagues in urging Pres. Joe Biden to hold the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) accountable for the mismanagement and misplacement of thousands of unaccompanied migrant children.

"As a result of your open-borders policies, overseen by Vice President Harris, who was tasked with 'stemming the migration' at our border with Mexico, more than 500,000 unaccompanied alien children (UACs) have crossed the southwest border without a parent or guardian to provide care since you took office, a massive increase when compared to previous administrations. . . . Your Administration also fails them when they arrive in the United States by rushing them out of the custody of your Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) into the hands of unvetted sponsors who often continue to exploit and abuse them," the lawmakers wrote.

"Even as the trafficking business and the number of children entering the U.S. surged, HHS ORR cut back significantly on background checks and vetting procedures to speed up the process, despite knowing children were being trafficked through HHS ORR's UAC program. Your Administration likewise continued Vice President Harris's longtime priority of cutting back on information sharing between HHS ORR and law enforcement related to unaccompanied children and sponsors," they continued.

The lawmakers also detailed a list of the ORR's negligence in handling migrant children, including its failure to comply with Congressional subpoenas or provide information, such as the whereabouts of UACs, to the Department of Homeland Security.

"HHS's failure to ensure UACs are in appropriate placements and to adequately vet sponsors is harmful not only to the UACs, but also to American citizens. . . . HHS must stop its cover-up and cooperate with law enforcement and Congress to end this crisis and protect unaccompanied children and the American people," the lawmakers concluded.

In Dec. 2023, Sen. Kennedy urged the Biden-Harris administration's HHS to protect vulnerable migrant children by abandoning its planned rule to allow minors to be placed with sponsors who did not undergo background checks or other safeguards.

Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Roger Marshall (R-Kans.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and 15 members of the House of Representatives also signed the letter.

The full letter is available here.