Border Czar Tom Homan Announces Recovery of Over 3,000 “Lost” Children in Federal Operation
Border Czar Tom Homan announced this morning that federal authorities have successfully located over 3,000 children previously deemed “lost” by the immigration system. The announcement marks the latest development in the administration’s aggressive campaign to account for unaccompanied minors released into the United States during the previous administration.
Details of the Operation
According to Homan, the operation involved a coordinated effort by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The initiative targeted specific regions where reporting gaps were highest, resulting in the identification and contact of thousands of minors whose whereabouts had been unknown to federal agencies. This latest figure adds to the administration’s ongoing tally, which Homan has previously stated includes tens of thousands of children located since the initiative began. The “Border Czar” has made the recovery of these minors a primary mandate of his role, frequently citing a backlog of over 300,000 unaccompanied children who were released to sponsors and subsequently fell out of contact with the government.
Background on “Lost” Children
The issue stems from the handling of Unaccompanied Alien Children (UACs) who cross the border. By law, these minors are transferred from border patrol custody to HHS, which then releases them to sponsors—often family members or relatives already in the U.S.—while they await immigration proceedings. Under the previous administration, a significant number of these sponsors failed to respond to follow-up calls or the children missed scheduled court dates, leading to their classification as “unaccounted for” or “lost.” Homan has characterized this gap as a humanitarian crisis, arguing that the lack of oversight left vulnerable minors exposed to labor exploitation and sex trafficking rings.
Objections and Controversy
While the administration frames these operations as rescue missions, immigration advocates and legal experts have raised significant objections to the rhetoric used. Critics argue that the term “lost” is misleading; they contend that many of these children are safely living with parents or relatives but have avoided contact with authorities due to fear of deportation. Organizations supporting immigrants warn that aggressive enforcement operations can drive families further into the shadows, actually making it harder to ensure the children’s welfare. Furthermore, legal observers have noted that “unaccounted for” in a database does not automatically equate to being a victim of trafficking, suggesting that the administration is conflating bureaucratic tracking failures with criminal exploitation to justify stricter border enforcement policies.
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