GOP Senator brings evidence, demands action from DHS, FBI to rescue exploited children smuggled into the US

WASHINGTON, DC— Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has alerted the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to evidence of suspected trafficking of exploited children smuggled into the U.S. and demanded the Biden administration take action.

Along with his letter to the departments, Grassley has referred the evidence to the appropriate authorities and called upon them to launch an investigation and efforts to rescue the children.

His office wrote in a press release, "Grassley’s referral for law enforcement action is based on a review of legally protected whistleblower disclosures, including Health and Human Services records tracking interactions with unaccompanied alien children who entered at the Southern border and who were eventually placed with often-poorly vetted sponsors."

In the letter addressed to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray, Grassley wrote, "My office is working diligently with whistleblowers to identify as many missing children as possible, in hopes they can be found and saved. I expect the cooperation of DHS, as well as the full cooperation of HSI, FBI, HHS, and any NGOs involved, in this critical mission. It is our moral duty to do all we can to rescue children who may have endured sexual abuse or forced labor.”

Grassley cited disturbing whistleblower reports detailing, "A large number of sponsors at a single address who had already sponsored many children at that address, while attempting to sponsor multiple additional children"; "The identity of male subjects who may be involved in a potential trafficking ring"; and, "Information about a male subject who provided questionable documents to sponsor a young female. Although he claimed to be one of the girl’s close relatives, he later posted photographs of the female on social media showing himself touching her in a suggestive manner." 

According to The Federalist during an October Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Grassley pressed DHS witness Cardell Morant, the Assistant Director at Homeland Security Investigations and Director of the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking, regarding various media reports regarding the 85,000 children illegally smuggled into the U.S. who are currently missing, asking how many, in any have been located and recovered.

He couldn't answer, but said he would send the figures to Grassley at another time.

Now some ninety days since that hearing, Grassley said that Homeland Security under Mayorkas has failed to provide Congress with the number of children rescued. Grassley wrote in his letter, "Based upon alarming information I have received from multiple brave and very credible whistleblowers, it’s painfully apparent that HHS … has failed to take corrective action to prevent children from falling into the wrong hands."

Grassley added, "I ask that for each child, household, or sponsor identified in the documents, you determine whether an investigation has already been conducted and whether that investigation was adequate; if not, I request you instruct your agencies to follow up immediately and investigate the evidence presented. In addition, I intend to turn over to you a number of files that may identify other potentially trafficked children. I ask that you immediately commit to identifying and rescuing any children you can."