Nearly 80 percent of households that take in unaccompanied minors already have illega
Nearly 80 percent of households that take in unaccompanied minors already have illegal immigrants, ICE official says
September 18, 2018 02:30 PM
https://mediadc.brightspotcdn.com/di...mmigration.jpg
Two decades ago, any minor under the age of 18 who was apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border by himself or herself, or in the company of a smuggler or unrelated adult, would only have been released to a U.S. citizen or person with legal status. (Eduardo Verdugo/AP)
Four in five sponsors with whom the Health and Human Services Department places unaccompanied kids apprehended at the border are illegal immigrants or already have people unlawfully in the country living in their homes, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"From our data that we've seen just recently, you're looking at close to 80 percent of the people that are sponsors or household members within these residents are illegally here in the country," Matthew Albence, executive associate director for ICE, said in testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Two decades ago, any minor under the age of 18 who was apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border by himself or herself, or in the company of a smuggler or unrelated adult, would only have been released to a U.S. citizen or person with legal status.
Now, as Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., pointed out, HHS policy allows a child to be released to a sponsor regardless of immigration status. The result, he added, is the federal government is sometimes challenged with finding the sponsor and child at a later date because a sponsor is hiding due to his or her unlawful status.
"We tend to lose children when they go and are placed in a home of someone who's already not legally present, who's been living under the radar for years and then we're surprised when they both disappear," Lankford said.
"That shouldn't surprise us. That is something that if we're going to take care of children, we've got to find a way to be able to take care of children and not put them in a home of someone who is not legally present here but that also discourages people from saying, 'You're 14 years old, your dad is already in the United States working, it's time for you to go join him,'" Lankford added.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/n...-official-says
