Bill Cassidy - Ranking Member of the Senate HELP Committee | Official U.S. Senate headshot
Bill Cassidy - Ranking Member of the Senate HELP Committee | Official U.S. Senate headshot
U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Ron Johnson (R-WI) will host a roundtable on July 9 at 2:30 p.m. ET to address the exploitation of unaccompanied migrant children. The event, titled “The Exploitation Crisis: How the U.S. Government is Failing to Protect Migrant Children from Trafficking and Abuse,” will scrutinize the shortcomings of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)’s Unaccompanied Children (UC) program.
Since 2023, Senator Cassidy has been investigating alleged failures by the Biden administration to safeguard unaccompanied children from forced labor and human trafficking.
The roundtable will take place in Room 608 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Witnesses include whistleblowers from the HHS UC program, Florida Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris, and criminology expert Dr. Jarrod Sadulski.
Background information highlights that over 500,000 unaccompanied children have entered the United States illegally since 2021. Under the current administration, ORR's oversight has reportedly weakened, increasing risks for these children. A 2022 report by HHS’ Office of Inspector General (OIG) noted that loosened vetting requirements compromised ORR’s ability to protect children from trafficking and exploitation.
Further findings from an HHS OIG report earlier this year revealed multiple instances where ORR officials did not adhere to sponsor vetting requirements. This included failing to conduct necessary background checks in a significant percentage of cases and neglecting timely safety follow-ups, resulting in many children being coerced into hazardous work situations.
For those interested in attending or watching live online, RSVPs can be sent to Stephen Lewerenz at Stephen_Lewerenz@help.senate.gov.
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