EXCLUSIVE: HSI Can't Find 95% of 100,000 Unaccompanied Migrant Children, Faces Fraudulent Addresses and Poorly Vetted Sponsors

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has only located 5% of the 100,000 unaccompanied migrant children targeted for well-being checks, according to a source. Many of these children, who entered the United States under false identities, were placed with inadequately vetted sponsors. HSI agents frequently encounter obstacles, including fraudulent addresses, which hinder their investigations.

A DHS official tells me, “Secretary Noem and Secretary Kennedy have reunited nearly 5,000 unaccompanied children with a safe relative or guardian.”

Last week, HSI agents reported the rescue of two teenage migrant sisters from alleged sex traffickers, following their entry as unaccompanied minors. While HSI claimed credit for the operation, local law enforcement in West Covina, California, apprehended the suspected trafficker holding the girls captive at a hotel.

In 2024, the Department of Homeland Security acknowledged losing track of over 300,000 unaccompanied children. A Homeland Security Inspector General’s report warns that many of these children, released to purportedly qualified sponsors, face heightened risks of sex trafficking, forced labor, and other forms of exploitation.

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