A new federal watchdog report has confirmed that more than 31,000 unaccompanied migrant children released inside the United States remain unaccounted for, the direct result of failures during the Biden administration’s handling of the border. The stunning admission from the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general highlights how disorganized policies left minors exposed to trafficking and other dangers.
Between 2019 and 2023, over 448,000 unaccompanied children were transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services after being apprehended at the border. From there, most were placed with sponsors. But tens of thousands were released to addresses that were either incomplete, blank or invalid, according to the report.
🚨 BREAKING: New report finds that TENS OF THOUSANDS of unaccompanied minors have gone completely unaccounted for during the Biden admin… https://t.co/Wf6jVA1qDC pic.twitter.com/6zrrmYyiaq
— Mgon 🕊 Christus Rex (@Mgon) March 28, 2025
Inspector General Joseph Cuffari stated that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lacked the ability to track many of these minors after their release. ICE often didn’t even receive notice of where children were being sent, leaving them unable to monitor safety or ensure court appearances.
The problem didn’t end with faulty addresses. As of this year, over 233,000 unaccompanied minors had not been served official notices to appear in immigration court. Of those who did receive court dates, more than 43,000 never showed up.
What have they done with the children.
Tens of Thousands of UNACCOMPANIED MINORS are unaccounted for during the Biden Admin. https://t.co/1fUY2543qX
— ❄️☃️❄️Just me👀🛐💟 (@browneyegirl400) March 27, 2025
Cuffari noted that limited staffing and poor coordination between federal agencies made the situation worse. Without basic information, ICE was left relying on outside tips to learn whether the children were safe or even still in the country.
Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) called out the Biden administration during a recent hearing, saying its negligence allowed unaccompanied children to fall through the cracks. “It’s shameful that even innocent, unaccompanied children were caught in the crosshairs,” he told Fox News.
The report comes amid wider scrutiny of how federal agencies handled border enforcement under Biden, with additional findings showing noncitizens were allowed to board domestic flights without proper identification.
