Feds Lose Track of Tens of Thousands of Unaccompanied Children After Release: DHS Report

The Department of Homeland Security's inspector general has revealed a troubling inability by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to keep track of unaccompanied alien children (UACs) entering the country illegally and subsequently released from custody. The findings, detailed in a new report, paint a chaotic picture of mismanagement and gaps in oversight.

Between fiscal years 2019 and 2023, ICE handed over more than 448,000 unaccompanied minors to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Most of these children were released to sponsors, but alarmingly, over 31,000 were sent to undeliverable addresses, missing apartment numbers, or simply blank locations. It's like trying to mail a package to nowhere.

Even worse, ICE often did not know the whereabouts of children who fled while under HHS custody. The report also highlighted a glaring failure to issue notices to appear (NTAs) to all UACs, which are crucial for scheduling immigration court dates. As of January 2025, over 233,000 unaccompanied minors had not been served NTAs, and of those who did receive them, 43,000 failed to show up for their court dates.

The lack of coordination between federal agencies added fuel to the fire. ICE was frequently left in the dark about the safety and status of the children unless someone tipped them off. Sponsors' locations were often not shared, leaving ICE unable to monitor whether the children were safe from trafficking, exploitation, or other dangers.

Staffing shortages were another key issue, with Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari acknowledging that ICE simply lacked the personnel to monitor each child effectively. While this might explain some of the chaos, it doesn’t excuse the risk these children face.

Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, brought up the crisis during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, slamming the Biden administration for what he called "total failure" at the border. Gonzales didn't mince words: "The fact that we can’t locate tens of thousands of these minors in the U.S. is completely unacceptable... Not having answers is unacceptable, and it’s past time to put our heads together to fix this problem for good." Strong words, but will they spark action?

Meanwhile, critics argue that the ongoing immigration crisis remains a top issue, with potential solutions ranging from increased monitoring to better inter-agency communication. Whether the government can turn this around remains to be seen, but one thing is clear—America’s handling of unaccompanied minors demands urgent attention.