Democratic Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal criticized Biden for Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) nominee and Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem during a question about so-called family separation at her rally on Friday. He told the administration to “put aside” concerns that it would be unable to track migrant children. Confirmation hearing.
Blumenthal asked the candidates if they would support efforts to help reunite migrant children separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border, and Noem said President-elect Donald Trump will be in office for one term. He disputed accusations that he instituted a family separation policy during his term in office. . The candidate said he was “alarmed” that “more than 300,000 children” have gone missing under the Biden administration.
“Senator, the Trump administration never had a family separation policy,” Noem said. “They had a zero-tolerance policy that our laws would be followed. What I’m concerned about is the over 300,000 children who have gone missing under the Biden administration. Children. And when you talk about what they might face in this country and the human trafficking that’s going on, there’s a lack of desire from this administration to find out where those children are or where they are. What I’m going through is alarming to me, so I want it to stop.”
“I’m sorry to interrupt again because we’re running out of time, but let’s step aside, put aside the labels, put aside what happened in the past. 1,000 kids still. We need you to commit to continuing our efforts to reunite these children with their parents, who are separated and waiting to be reunited.”
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Noem said she can’t “put aside” her concerns for the missing children and that keeping the family together is her main concern. (Related: Democratic Rep. Jayapal falsely claims there are no missing unaccompanied immigrant children in the U.S.)
“Senator, keeping families together is very important to me and to this country. I’m worried that Laken Riley’s family will no longer be here,” Noem responded. “I’m worried about the fact that we don’t have her anymore. I’m concerned about the people in this country who don’t know where their children are, who sent their children to this country and who have been left unaccounted for by this administration. I’m concerned that there are people in other countries, so my focus is to keep families together, abide by the law, and protect our children from the human trafficking and drug epidemic that is hitting this country. We’re going to make sure we do everything we can.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials have released at least 32,000 immigrant children who entered the United States since 2019 from DHS and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) custody for failing to appear at immigration court. Their whereabouts are unknown. A court date has been scheduled, according to a report released by the DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) in August. report said It said 291,000 migrant children never receive a court date and are at “a higher risk of human trafficking, exploitation and forced labor.”
HHS, the agency responsible for introducing children to adult sponsors, reunites about one-third of unaccompanied immigrant children with their parents, while the rest are reunited with other relatives or even They will be sent to a stranger. According to In the New York Times. The Biden administration placed some of these minors in homes deemed unsuitable for them, including homes with adults with criminal records. According to to an internal investigation by the inspector general.
Republican Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, ranking member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said: report It alleges that the Biden administration has made widespread “failures” that have led to widespread abuse and exploitation of migrant children.
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