Des Moines Sun

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has released Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) data indicating that the Biden-Harris administration placed more than 11,000 migrant children with sponsors who were not vetted and were not the child’s parent or legal guardian. The data also shows that over 79,000 migrant children under the age of 12 did not receive recommended home studies.

The information was provided to Grassley by the Trump administration in response to his oversight requests. HHS also described reforms made during the Trump administration to address issues in the Unaccompanied Children (UC) program.

“My oversight continues to expose disturbing evidence that the Biden-Harris administration turned a blind eye to tens of thousands of kids who needed proper supervision and care. It’s appalling to prioritize speed and optics over the safety and wellbeing of children,” Grassley said. “I appreciate the Trump administration’s efforts to undo the damage caused by the last administration’s failed border policies, and I’ll continue my oversight of the issue to ensure abuse like this never happens again.”

According to HHS, from October 2020 through September 2024, a total of 468,736 unaccompanied migrant children were cared for by HHS. From October 2024 through June 2025, an additional 21,399 unaccompanied migrant children entered HHS care.

Between January 2021 and January 2025, HHS’s Office of Refugee Resettlement reported that 11,488 migrant children were placed with sponsors who had not undergone fingerprinting or background checks as required by U.S. Code 1232(c)(3)(A). This law mandates FBI criminal history checks for sponsors who are not parents or legal guardians.

During this same period, no home studies were conducted for more than 79,000 migrant children under age twelve. This includes nearly two thousand cases where a home study was specifically recommended but not performed. Federal regulations require these studies before releasing a child under twelve years old to someone other than their parent or legal guardian.

In February 2025, HHS began an interagency initiative designed to identify and address suspected fraud, exploitation, and trafficking within its programs. The initiative coordinates among federal agencies and law enforcement so potential trafficking cases can be referred for investigation.

Grassley has previously criticized what he describes as inadequate safeguards in place for unaccompanied minors under current policy. He held a whistleblower roundtable on alleged abuses during the Biden-Harris administration and introduced legislation aimed at overturning rules he says enable child exploitation while seeking funding cuts for contractors implicated in abuse cases.

A recent report from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General supported some of Grassley’s findings: it confirmed instances where authorities lost track of large numbers of migrant children and restricted information sharing with law enforcement agencies regarding their welfare.

Grassley also stated that over recent years there have been more than 65,000 reports concerning migrant children—over seven thousand involving human trafficking—that he alleges were ignored or dismissed by officials.