Republican Missouri Senator Josh Hawley on Wednesday mocked Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mallorcas and the Biden administration for allowing child slavery to flourish in the United States.

The New York Times has report extensively About the crisis of immigrant children being exploited as cheap labor across the United States, with thousands of 13-year-olds working in factories.

“Let me tell you what I am fed up with. I had Secretary Mayorcas sit before me on another committee, the Homeland Security Committee, where I told him to leave the border unaccompanied. I asked about the outrage of the 250,000 immigrant children crossing the border, “tens of thousands of whom have crossed the border in the past two years and sold into slavery,” Hawley said. “Let’s not cut to the chase. They were sold into slavery. Children were put into factories, worked all night, worked in terrible conditions, weren’t paid, didn’t go to school, and sometimes even had a meal.” is not given, it is slavery.”

“And what you hear from Chief Mayorcas, don’t take my word for it. You go and read the records. He said to me, ‘Oh, that’s me.’ It is not a problem of we have nothing to do with it. It’s not my problem ‘ has received a new report from [the Department of Health and Human Services] They say it’s not their problem,” the Missouri senator continued. “It’s amazing how this works. No one is to blame, these children are literally sold into slavery in the United States of America in 2023, but no one is to blame. They They don’t want you to come and testify before this committee, they certainly don’t, they don’t want to be sworn in, they don’t want to answer any questions, they’re here They don’t want to put the cameras down.They don’t want to be held accountable.Well, let me tell you, it’s someone’s fault.It’s not the kids’ fault.”

Hawley later praised the New York Times report, Quoting the story The story of Carolina Yoku, 15, a Guatemalan teenager who works in a Cheerios factory. Yoku told The Times that her lack of sleep and stress made her stomach hurt a lot and she was tired. (Related: ‘Modern Slavery’: Senator Blackburn Says Unaccompanied Immigrant Children Are Used in Child Labor, Sex Trafficking)

“Let the record reflect that this regime has sold tens of thousands of children into slavery and they have done nothing about it,” Hawley said. “We need to figure out what the heck is going on and who is responsible for this, because I’ll tell you what the unacceptable answer is: ‘It’s not my problem.’ We wish our children the best of luck.” Children are in danger, children are in slavery, children are It’s being exploited and this shouldn’t be happening in the US! ”

Former Border Agency Director Rodney Scott testified Wednesday at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing that the number of vulnerable immigrant children has increased under the Biden administration.