By Steve Neavling
ICE may have lost track of thousands of unaccompanied minors who entered the country, raising concerns about both the children’s safety and the integrity of the immigration system, according to a report from an internal watchdog.
From 2019 to 2023, more than 32,000 unaccompanied minors did not appear for their immigration court hearings, and ICE has been unable to account for their whereabouts, the report by the ICE inspector general revealed.
During this timeframe, more than 448,000 unaccompanied minors entered the U.S. and were subsequently transferred from ICE custody to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is responsible for placing the children with sponsors or in foster care.
After being transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for settlement, ICE lost track of the locations of some of these children. Additionally, more than 291,000 unaccompanied minors were never placed into removal proceedings because ICE failed to issue them notices to appear or schedule their court dates.
“Without an ability to monitor the location and status of [unaccompanied migrant children], ICE has no assurance [they] are safe from trafficking, exploitation, or forced labor,” Inspector General Joseph Cuffari wrote in the report.
Cuffari urged ICE to “take immediate action to ensure the safety of [unaccompanied children] residing in the United States.”
Missing court appearances can result in deportation orders for the children.
ICE reportedly concurred with some of the report’s recommendations to implement automated tracking systems but pushed back, claiming the watchdog misunderstood certain aspects of the process. In its response to the report, ICE explained that it occasionally postpones pursuing removal orders to allow children time to secure legal representation and to prevent overwhelming the immigration courts. The agency also highlighted that it employs specialized field officials to address cases involving unaccompanied minors who fail to appear in court.
