For decades, our leaders neglected our immigration system. When Trump first brought the issue to light in 2015—Democrats laughed him off. Nobody’s laughing now, after years of corruption and abuse. The swamp’s shocking (and willful) neglect of the border has resulted in untold suffering for millions of Americans.

But, despite what we might realize, Americans aren’t the only victims of our corrupt swamp’s abuse. Countless migrants have been mistreated and exploited, by both smugglers and Democrats in Washington. It seems the left has zero concern for the well-being of those they are letting in illegally. Even when they take custody of migrants, it seems they had not intention of looking after them.

The latest government report confirms what many have long suspected: federal agencies have completely lost control of the situation at our southern border.

From ‘Just The News’:
“After meeting with more than 140 individuals from DHS and other Federal agencies, we determined U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cannot effectively monitor the location and status of all unaccompanied alien children (UACs) once released or transferred from Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) custody,” the report reads.

The Department of Homeland Security Inspector General recently released a damning report showing that between 2019 and 2023, the government transferred more than 448,000 unaccompanied minors to Health and Human Services custody. Most were then released to sponsors, but here’s the kicker: over 31,000 of these children were sent to addresses that were blank, missing apartment numbers, or otherwise incomplete.

Let that sink in. The federal government can’t tell you where 31,000 children are. That’s roughly the population of a small city—just gone. And you thought losing your car keys was bad?

Children Lost in Government Paperwork

It gets worse. The report also revealed that ICE failed to issue Notices to Appear (NTAs) to more than 233,000 unaccompanied children. Without these notices, these kids never received court dates in our immigration system. Of those who did receive court dates, over 43,000 never showed up.

The Inspector General didn’t mince words about the dangers: “Without an ability to monitor the location and status of UACs, ICE is unable to facilitate court appearances and has no assurance UACs are safe from trafficking, exploitation, forced labor, or involvement in criminal activities that pose a risk to local communities.”

This isn’t just bureaucratic bungling—it’s a humanitarian catastrophe with real-world consequences for vulnerable children who were supposedly under government protection. How can the same government that knows exactly how many miles you can deduct on your taxes somehow lose track of tens of thousands of children?

Where’s the Outrage from the Left?

Representative Tony Gonzales (R-TX) put it bluntly: “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.”

Yet where are the impassioned speeches from Democrat leaders who normally position themselves as champions of child welfare? Their silence is deafening. The same administration that found resources to fly illegal immigrants to destinations across America somehow couldn’t keep basic records of children’s whereabouts.

This incompetence raises serious questions: How many of these children have fallen victim to human trafficking? How many are being exploited for labor? How many have been pushed into gang activities? We simply don’t know—and apparently, neither does the federal government.

A Problem Years in the Making

The federal agencies involved are pointing fingers at each other. ICE claims they weren’t always notified about sponsor locations by other agencies. The Inspector General acknowledged that staffing limitations hampered monitoring efforts. But these excuses ring hollow when children’s safety is at stake.

For four years, the Biden administration maintained policies that encouraged a massive surge of unaccompanied minors at the border. They dismantled effective Trump-era policies while failing to create workable alternatives. The predictable result was a system overwhelmed to the point of collapse—with children paying the price.

Now the Trump administration has inherited this catastrophic situation, and they’re faced with the monumental task of not only securing the border going forward but also trying to locate thousands of vulnerable children who have simply vanished into the void of bureaucratic incompetence.

Key Takeaways:

• The Department of Homeland Security Inspector General confirmed federal agencies lost track of more than 31,000 unaccompanied alien children due to incomplete or missing address records.
• Over 233,000 children were never issued court appearance notices, and more than 43,000 who did receive notices failed to appear in immigration court.
• Without proper monitoring, these children face serious risks of trafficking, exploitation, and forced labor—all consequences of the Biden administration’s border policies.

Sources: Just The News, Fox News