Senate Hearing on Unaccompanied Immigrant Children Raises Concerns
A former ombudsperson for unaccompanied children from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spoke to Texas Senator John Cornyn on Wednesday about the current situation regarding these children. Giobagnoli, who has been with HHS since October 2024, addressed concerns raised by whistleblowers and experts regarding the oversight of unaccompanied minors during a Senate Judicial Hearing.
Cornyn asked Giobagnoli whether children living with undocumented immigrant sponsors should be deported, prompting her to respond carefully. “I think it really depends on the situation,” she said, trying to clarify her position. Before her, Chris Clem, a former HHS adviser, expressed that families, including the children, should be deported together if they are living with illegal immigrants.
Cornyn pressed for a clearer answer from Giobagnoli. “You shouldn’t just deport them outright,” she replied, trying to find the right way to express her thoughts. “Just because someone is here without documentation doesn’t always mean they need to be removed.” This prompted a back-and-forth around the legality of crossing the border without permission.
At one point, after Cornyn confirmed that crossing the border illegally is indeed a crime, Giobagnoli noted that it is often treated as a civil matter. The debate continued with her saying, “It depends on the situation” when asked if individuals in the U.S. without legal status should be deported.
Concerns about the treatment of immigrant children have surged since the Biden administration, particularly in the summer of 2024 when whistleblower testimonies highlighted issues with sponsor reviews for these minors. A report from the Homeland Security Bureau released in September stated that the U.S. was struggling to monitor all unaccompanied children due to the broader border crisis.
One significant policy change during the Biden administration was the abandonment of the DNA collection program originally used to verify immigrant identities. This change came amidst criticisms of background checks for household members of immigrant child sponsors.
Cornyn challenged Giobagnoli regarding her approach to deportation, questioning why there wasn’t more scrutiny on families where children were placed. Giobagnoli replied that her role was to gather reports and not directly address those familial concerns, as she hadn’t seen any documentation on the issue.
As the discussion progressed, Giobagnoli defended the post-release processes under Biden’s administration, claiming improvements had been made. However, Cornyn countered this by referencing a recent report from the New York Times that revealed exploitative labor conditions for immigrant children and highlighted issues with the thoroughness of sponsor reviews.
According to data cited, over 85,000 children were not reached for follow-ups, and roughly one-third lost contact shortly after being placed with sponsors.
