Staff Reports
The Biden administration has been caught with its hand in the proverbial cookie jar once again, this time regarding the crisis of unaccompanied migrant children. Newly unveiled documents show that internal warnings about the shortcomings in handling this issue were issued as early as summer 2021. Despite the ominous signs, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas appeared to be more focused on crafting a narrative than addressing the impending disaster.
A memo from the Department of Homeland Security laid bare the lack of resources and authority to reunite families, with an official indicating that departments were woefully unprepared to handle the influx of children. The government was left scrambling to arrange airfare and travel for parents, only to find that many of these families refused to cooperate because the budget did not allow for additional family members to travel. This was like trying to stick a square peg in a round hole while blindfolded—certain disaster waiting to unfold.
Memo starkly warned Mayorkas in 2021 about migrant kids, long before crisis that alarmed Congress https://t.co/CHKu3goWXS via @JustTheNews
— Chris Shouse 🙏🦅 (@ChrisShouse) December 10, 2024
In a particularly eye-opening admission, the memo revealed that nearly half of the children who were reunited with their families faced homelessness or were already homeless. One has to wonder if the administration thought this was fine and dandy. It raises the question of how one can justify an open-border policy while simultaneously failing to offer a safety net for these children and their families. It appears that the so-called “Family Reunification Task Force” has become more of a “Family Displacement Task Force.”
The crux of the issue lies in the administration’s inability to process unaccompanied minors effectively. An inspector general report from earlier this year disclosed that the Biden team lost track of around 320,000 children who crossed the border without their parents. That’s a staggering number that could be mistaken for the population of a small city—except that these are real children, facing real threats, including being vulnerable to sex trafficking and forced labor. The negligence of the administration shines a light on how the prioritization of political agendas over child welfare could have catastrophic consequences.
Republicans have been quick to spotlight this unfolding tragedy, with over 40 lawmakers expressing outrage over the administration’s handling of unaccompanied minors. Addressing the issue, they highlighted the fact that background checks and vetting processes had been significantly relaxed, all in the name of expediency, putting countless children at risk. Meanwhile, the Biden administration’s decision to scrap familial DNA testing at the border—an initiative introduced under the previous administration—raises serious red flags regarding safety measures.
As this saga unfolds, a familiar name is emerging back onto the political stage: Donald Trump. The former president has promised a reversal of the current administration’s immigration policies, with an emphasis on protecting American sovereignty and safety, prioritizing checks on those crossing the border. With the return of former ICE Director Tom Homan as Trump’s border czar, there seems to be a concerted effort to secure these vulnerable unaccompanied minors and rectify the mess left in the wake of the current administration’s careless policies.
The information coming to light indicates that the Biden administration’s approach to immigration is unraveling, and it is clear that the ramifications of their choices will be felt for years to come. While they continue to tout their openness, one must question at what cost when children—the most innocent among us—are left unprotected and misplaced in a system that seems to prioritize political optics over actual familial and child safety. The facts speak for themselves, and it seems that the only thing that’s truly safe in this scenario is the continued scrutiny on an administration that has so far shown itself to be utterly unequipped to handle its responsibilities.
