In a disturbing revelation that underscores the chaos and negligence of the Biden-Harris administration’s immigration policies, Senator Chuck Grassley has brought to light a staggering backlog of over 65,000 flagged reports related to unaccompanied minors in federal custody—most of which were left uninvestigated. These reports, filed between 2021 and 2024 during President Biden’s tenure, point to possible abuse, human trafficking, and fraudulent sponsorships.
The findings came to light through internal documents from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), reviewed by Grassley and shared with the Washington Examiner. As part of a larger review of Biden-era immigration practices, the Trump administration uncovered this mountain of ignored reports during a policy audit focused on the release of unaccompanied minors to adult sponsors across the country.
Let that number sink in—65,000 reports. Within that pile, 7,346 reports involved suspected human trafficking. Another 1,688 raised red flags about adults potentially posing as legitimate sponsors. And yet, only 528 of these leads were ever referred to federal law enforcement for investigation.
Grassley, long known for his commitment to oversight, didn’t mince words. In a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., he wrote, “Not a single child should continue to suffer because of the previous administration’s failures.” He’s now demanding a full investigation, and frankly, it’s long overdue.
To date, the Trump administration has processed about 28% of the backlog. That limited review has already resulted in seven indictments, 11 arrests, and three convictions. The U.S. Attorney’s office has accepted 36 cases for prosecution, signaling that many of these leads were more than credible—they were actionable.
But here’s the kicker: over 46,000 flagged reports are still sitting in bureaucratic limbo.
This isn’t the first time Grassley has called out the government over its handling of migrant children. Back in 2014, during the Obama administration, he raised alarms over the lack of accountability and transparency in sponsor vetting. Unfortunately, history has repeated itself—only this time, the numbers are even worse.
What’s especially troubling is the Biden administration’s refusal to cooperate with oversight. Grassley revealed that his initial inquiries were stonewalled by then-HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. Instead of answering questions, the administration obstructed investigations—another classic case of Washington putting politics before people.
Thanks to whistleblowers, we now know that this isn’t just a failure in one office or one region. This is a systemic failure that may have endangered thousands of vulnerable children nationwide.
The Trump administration’s newly launched cross-agency task force is working to triage the backlog and bring the worst cases—particularly those involving trafficking—to justice. But the fact that this kind of cleanup is even necessary speaks volumes about the prior administration’s recklessness.
Grassley is now calling for public updates on the review process, and rightly so. The American people deserve transparency. More importantly, these children deserve justice. It’s time for accountability—not excuses.
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