More than 65,000 serious reports concerning unaccompanied migrant children in federal custody were never investigated, according to new findings revealed by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley. The reports span from 2021 to 2024 and raise concerns about possible child trafficking, sponsor fraud, and abuse.
The reports were filed by federal contractors and employees under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees the custody and placement of unaccompanied minors after they arrive at the southern U.S. border. These children are typically transferred from Border Patrol custody to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), an agency within HHS, and then released to sponsors within the United States.
According to newly released documentation obtained through Grassley’s office, HHS received a total of 65,605 “significant incident reports” over the three-year period. Of these, 7,346 involved suspicions of human trafficking, and 1,688 cited possible sponsor fraud—cases where the adult receiving custody of a child may have submitted false information or had questionable intent.
Despite the high volume of reports, only 528 cases were forwarded to federal law enforcement agencies for further review. Of those, just 36 were accepted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution. To date, 11 individuals have been arrested and three convicted in relation to these cases.
Senate Oversight Raises Concerns
Grassley raised alarm about the backlog in a letter addressed to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., where he called the situation unacceptable and pressed for a full accounting of how the department handled—or failed to handle—the backlog.
“No child should continue to suffer because of a federal agency’s inability to act on credible warnings,” Grassley wrote. “The safety of children must be prioritized over bureaucracy.”
The senator’s inquiry was prompted by whistleblower accounts and internal contractor reports indicating that children were sometimes released to sponsors with criminal records or unverified identities. In several documented instances, children disappeared after being released into sponsor custody.
Delayed Investigations and Lack of Transparency
Grassley’s letter noted that HHS had been slow to cooperate with congressional oversight. According to his office, previous requests for documentation and interviews with contractor staff were met with resistance during the tenure of former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. Some whistleblowers reported being instructed not to respond directly to congressional inquiries.
“This is not the transparency we were promised,” Grassley wrote. “Federal agencies have a duty to inform the public and work with Congress to ensure vulnerable populations—especially children—are protected.”
The senator also expressed frustration that HHS waited years before beginning to address the thousands of backlogged incident reports. As of early 2025, more than 46,000 of the reports remain unreviewed, according to internal agency estimates shared with congressional investigators.
Breakdown of the Reports
The 65,605 significant incident reports received by HHS between 2021 and 2024 include a range of concerns. Internal agency logs categorize them as follows:
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56,591 general child welfare concerns (including signs of abuse, poor health conditions, or mistreatment)
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7,346 suspected trafficking cases
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1,688 potential sponsor fraud cases
Only a fraction of these reports were processed for referral to federal authorities. Those that were reviewed resulted in:
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528 referrals to law enforcement
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36 cases accepted by prosecutors
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11 arrests made
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3 federal convictions
Cross-Agency Initiative Launched
In February 2025, a new cross-agency initiative was launched to begin addressing the backlog of reports. The effort involves coordination between HHS, the Department of Justice, and immigration enforcement agencies, and prioritizes cases that show indications of child exploitation or sponsor fraud.
The initiative was established following an internal review of the ORR placement process. Officials found that gaps in background checks and verification procedures had allowed some children to be released into potentially dangerous situations without adequate vetting of the adult sponsors.
This renewed effort includes the use of data analytics to flag high-risk cases and a hotline for contractors to report new incidents directly to federal investigators.
Historical Context and Precedent
This is not the first time the federal government has faced scrutiny over the handling of unaccompanied minors. Similar concerns were raised in 2014 during the surge of unaccompanied children under the Obama administration. At that time, Grassley also led efforts to increase oversight of the ORR system.
Since President Joe Biden took office, more than 500,000 unaccompanied minors have crossed the southern U.S. border, according to federal statistics. This represents the largest number recorded under any U.S. president. The surge overwhelmed shelter capacity, and expedited placement procedures were implemented to move children more quickly out of detention facilities.
Critics argue that in the rush to clear shelters, thorough checks of sponsor backgrounds were neglected. As a result, some children were placed into unsafe or undocumented households.
Next Steps and Congressional Demands
Grassley is now demanding that HHS provide regular updates to Congress on the progress of the case reviews. He has asked for a detailed accounting of how each category of report is being handled, and what criteria are being used to prioritize investigations.
The senator has also requested that the department outline specific steps it will take to improve sponsor vetting and ensure that no additional children are placed at risk.
“What we’re dealing with here is not just a failure of policy, but a failure to act on warnings,” Grassley stated. “Thousands of children may have been placed into harmful environments while the federal government looked the other way.”
Conclusion
The backlog of over 65,000 uninvestigated reports concerning unaccompanied migrant children has highlighted serious deficiencies in the U.S. government’s ability to protect vulnerable minors. As efforts are now underway to review these cases, the focus remains on preventing future lapses and holding responsible parties accountable.
Senator Grassley and others in Congress have committed to continued oversight, stating that no federal agency should be allowed to ignore credible threats to child safety. The next several months will reveal whether the system can be reformed to ensure accountability and protect children in federal custody.
