Senator Katie Britt Addresses Unaccompanied Alien Children Migration
U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) has voiced concerns regarding Congress’s role in the illegal migration of unaccompanied alien children (UAC) at the southern border. She emphasizes the necessity of closing legal loopholes that currently facilitate their release into the United States.
Britt raised these points during a Senate Judicial Border Patrol and Immigration Subcommittee hearing titled “Another Biden Break: Unaccompanied Foreign Child and No Crime Sponsors.”
“There’s a clear need to amend Section 235 of the Human Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008,” Britt stated, referring to UAC migration patterns to the southern border.
“It is indisputable that we need to halt mass illegal transitions involving UAC across our southern borders and close legal loopholes that lead to child exploitation,” she added, noting that reform has been a bipartisan call in the past. “Now’s the time to get it done,”
Testimony at the hearing included insights from former border patrol agent Chris Krem. He highlighted a loophole that allowed gang members to enter the U.S. and be set free, which raises concerns about public safety. Krem suggested that the initial screening process for UAC should be revamped to prioritize the safety of American citizens.
“If we conducted our first screening effectively to ensure that UAC are safe… once that’s done, they should be returned to their home countries as soon as possible,” Krem remarked. “It’s crucial that we establish a clearer, more direct process for legal migration to the U.S.,” he added.
Britt also pointed to alarming statistics regarding UACs at the border recently. “Over 400,000 UACs have been placed with sponsors, representing a 100% increase compared to the first Trump administration,” she noted. “A significant number are teenagers; almost 70% of UACs reported to HHS are over the age of 15. Moreover, HHS does not currently have a policy for vetting known gang members before they interact with the Department of Justice.”
She highlighted a particularly harrowing case involving a 17-year-old MS-13 gang member, who, after entering the U.S. as a UAC, was involved in the sexual assault and murder of 20-year-old Kayla Hamilton.
Senator Britt has consistently criticized the handling of UAC by the Biden-Harris administration, advocating for reforms to help protect children from potential trafficking and abuse. She has backed Congressional Review Law resolutions aimed at reversing Biden-era policies that she believes endanger unaccompanied immigrant children. Furthermore, Britt has urged the Biden administration to implement measures that prevent UAC from being placed with sponsors who may pose risks of abuse and exploitation.
