Texas Advocate urges State Action to Safeguard Unaccompanied Minors and Children
A Texas group is once more urging state leaders to take action after 158 U.S. House Democrats opposed the deportation of sex offenders, including child rapists, and one U.S. Senate Democrat hindered a bill aimed at enhancing protections for unaccompanied minors.
“Despite the extraordinary efforts of [U.S.] Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-IA, and others, Congress is unwilling to protect children,” Sheena Rodriguez told The Center Square.
Rodriguez, the founder and director of Alliance for a Safe Texas, has been urging the Texas legislature to enhance state regulations governing facilities that accommodate “unaccompanied alien children” (UACs) in Texas for about two years. Following discussions with local officials across the state, she uncovered a recurring issue: claims of mistreatment and neglect in facilities accommodating UACs in Texas. Taxpayer money primarily finances the facilities, which are contracted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“What Americans may not realize,” she said, “is the facilities housing UACs run by nongovernmental organizations receiving multimillion dollar contracts with the federal government are also receiving contracts from state governments, including Texas, to house American foster care children.”
State Representative Stan Kitzman from Bellville and State Senator Lois Kolkhorst from Brenham have introduced legislation to tackle the matter. Kitzman’s HB 5000 moved forward in the House State Affairs Committee last year during the regular legislative session but did not receive a floor vote and ultimately failed. Kolkhorst’s SB 572 successfully cleared the Senate but did not make it through the House. Kitzman introduced another bill during the third special session, with state Rep. Eddie Morales, D-Eagle Pass, as a cosponsor, but it also failed to progress.
A group of state lawmakers from both parties has urged the Texas Attorney General’s Office to look into allegations of abuse and trafficking involving unaccompanied minors in Texas, but the effort has not progressed. Last year, the Texas legislative session was quite remarkable: lawmakers participated in a standard legislative session, four special sessions, and the impeachment and trial of the attorney general, who was ultimately acquitted.
Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis has announced the formation of a grand jury to look into claims of child abuse. It carried out thorough inquiries and released several reports. The report found that HHS was involved in the forced migration, sale, and mistreatment of foreign children. This situation subjects children to terrifying health issues, ongoing criminal dangers, exploitation through labor and sex trafficking, theft, assault, and other experiences that words alone cannot adequately convey.
Florida’s Attorney General Ashley Moody urged Congress to conduct an investigation, leading to hearings where Rodriguez provided testimony. According to Moody, UACs were placed with individuals who had no connection to them and were placed in circumstances that exposed them to abuse, such as rape and molestation, and were effectively coerced into working to cover their travel expenses to the United States, which violates child labor laws.
A report from the HHS Office of the Inspector General revealed that HHS failed to properly vet sponsors or ensure the safety of UACs in their care. A recent report indicated that HHS was unable to account for over 100,000 unaccompanied minors, leading to further inquiries by Congress. Yet another report revealed that several hundred thousand were untraceable after being released into the country.
Investigations by Grassley revealed serious concerns, such as unaccompanied minors being handed over to MS-13 gang affiliates and suspected traffickers. This has led to the filing of criminal complaints and Senate Republicans suggesting legislative remedies.
A report from the Alliance highlights the necessity for regulatory changes at the state level and examines how facilities affect communities in Texas.
Kitzman remains steadfast and is set to introduce a new bill next year to tackle the matter. It has attracted more support from both sides of the aisle. During a recent session of the Texas Senate Committee on Border Security, Rodriguez provided testimony in favor of the initiative.
Rodriguez testified that since 2021, 62,000 unaccompanied minors were released to sponsors in Texas, based on data obtained by the New York Times from HHS. From January 2021 to May 2023, 27,000 unaccompanied minors were placed with sponsors in Texas who were not their parents, including over 6,400 who were sent to distant relatives or unrelated individuals.
She highlighted that Texas hosts the highest number of HHS-contracted facilities for unaccompanied minors in the nation, and the majority of unaccompanied minors are directed to Texas from the border.
Texas stands out with an unmatched number of facilities and a significant influx of UACs, as first reported by The Center Square.
In 2020, a GAO report indicated that there were at least 52 facilities contracted by HHS operating in Texas. Between fiscal years 2015 and 2023, Texas saw the highest number of UACs released, totaling 82,391, as reported by The Center Square.
Texas, California, and Florida have consistently been the top states for unaccompanied minors, with numbers rising significantly each year. In the fiscal year 2015, Texas received a total of 3,272. As of fiscal 2022, the number stands at 19,071, based on data from HHS.
“The federal government continues to fail to protect children, taxpayers, and our communities,” Rodriguez said. “Texas is at the forefront of this crisis. We must not sit idly by. Texas must act.”
She is once more urging Texas officials to carry out an investigation akin to Florida’s and is appealing to state lawmakers to back and approve Kitzman’s bill.
