At a press conference on Sept. 13, President Donald Trump brought attention to the issue of migrant children missing from the Unaccompanied Alien Child (UAC) program.

Trump charged that over 325,000 children have disappeared since entering the U.S. through the program, and he criticized the Biden-Harris administration, asserting that many of these children have become victims of exploitation, trafficking, or worse, as Breitbart reports.

“There could be no bigger scandal than this,” Trump stated, emphasizing the magnitude of the issue. He compared the number of missing children to filling California’s largest stadium multiple times. “Many of them are dead. Many of them are sex slaves and slaves of [a] different nature,” he added.

Political Implications for Harris

This controversy poses a potential political risk for Vice President Kamala Harris. During her time as a senator in 2018 and 2019, Harris played a role in reducing protections for migrant youths. Critics argue that her actions, including halting federal checks on sponsors, created an environment in which unvetted individuals were able to exploit the children.

Harris’s efforts in 2018 to block federal officials from arresting unfit sponsors led to increased risks for migrant youths. Trump referenced this, pointing out how her stance on the issue has worsened the situation. A significant portion of these missing children are thought to have fallen victim to forced labor, trafficking, or other forms of exploitation.

Migrant Youths Exploited by Smugglers

The missing children Trump referred to are part of the approximately 350,000 minors brought into the U.S. since 2021 through the UAC program. Many of these children are transported by smugglers under contracts arranged by their illegal migrant parents. These families often aim to reunite with children left behind in their home countries.

As a result, many male youths enter the country seeking work instead of education. An alarming number of children refuse to contact their guardians at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is responsible for placing them with sponsors. Unfortunately, some of these sponsors are exploiting the youths for labor or worse.

DHS Inspector General Report Raises Concerns

In August, the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General published a report raising concerns that many children in the UAC program are vulnerable to trafficking, exploitation, or forced labor. Despite this, Harris’s role as a senator included measures that, critics argue, exacerbated these risks.

Harris’s most controversial action was pushing a provision in a spending bill that prevented the HHS from sharing sponsor information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This provision blocked attempts to vet sponsors, leading to an increase in exploitation cases involving migrant youths.

Allegations of Child Labor Violations

Investigations by the New York Times uncovered widespread abuse of migrant children in the U.S. workforce. The report highlighted stories of children as young as 13 working in dangerous jobs that violate child labor laws. Cristian, a 14-year-old, works in construction instead of attending school, while Carolina, 15, packs cereal at a factory at night.

The situation reflects the broader issues with the UAC program, which has resulted in numerous children being forced to work to pay off debts to smugglers. Many of these youths work for staffing agencies contracted by Fortune 500 companies, further raising concerns about corporate responsibility and labor violations.

Trump’s Ongoing Criticism of Harris’s Role

In his press conference, Trump continued to criticize Harris for her actions that contributed to the crisis. He cited her labeling of the 2018 arrests of would-be sponsors as “outrageous,” emphasizing that her approach to immigration policies has led to more harm than good. The arrests occurred when Trump’s deputies took action to curb the exploitation of migrant youths.

Breitbart News also reported an 88% increase in child labor trafficking cases under the Department of Labor’s investigations for Fiscal Year 2023 compared to Fiscal Year 2019. Trump’s remarks further fueled concerns over how the current administration is handling the influx of migrant children and the risks they face.

Congressional Investigations into Child Trafficking

In response to the growing concerns, House Republicans are launching investigations into the child labor business in the U.S. Recent testimony from an HHS whistleblower in April revealed the agency’s challenges in preventing child trafficking. This revelation has prompted further scrutiny of the UAC program and the broader issues of child exploitation.

The Democrats, along with mainstream media outlets, have allegedly downplayed these concerns since 2014. However, the recent surge in migrant children entering the U.S. without their parents has reignited the debate on how the government is managing the crisis.

Conclusion

President Trump’s accusations regarding the missing migrant children have sparked a significant political debate, with Vice President Harris’s past actions under scrutiny.

With over 325,000 migrant youths unaccounted for, many are believed to have fallen victim to trafficking and exploitation. Investigations and reports from the DHS and the New York Times suggest that child labor violations and exploitation are rampant, raising questions about the UAC program’s effectiveness.

As Congress continues its investigations, the pressure on the current administration to address this crisis is likely to intensify.