ICE and State, Local Law Enforcement 287(g) Partners Launch Initiative to Protect Vulnerable Children the Biden Administration Allowed to be Placed with Unvetted Sponsors

Many of the sponsors of these unaccompanied children are often criminals including sex traffickers, gang members, and abusers 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched an initiative with our state and local law enforcement 287(g) partners aimed at protecting the 450,000 unaccompanied children (UAC) illegally smuggled over the border and placed with unvetted sponsors under the Biden administration.

This new law enforcement partnership, known as the UAC Safety Verification Initiative, represents ICE’s commitment to protect vulnerable children from sexual abuse and exploitation through collaboration with 287(g) law enforcement partners. The primary focus of this initiative is to conduct welfare checks on these children to ensure that they are safe and not being exploited. 

The Biden administration's open border policies empowered human and sex traffickers. The Trump administration is taking a sledgehammer to human trafficking rings and ensuring these children who were smuggled across the border are not being abused.

“Secretary Noem is leading efforts to rescue and stop the exploitation of the 450,000 unaccompanied children the Biden administration lost or placed with unvetted sponsors. Many of the children who came across the border unaccompanied were allowed to be placed with sponsors who were smugglers and sex traffickers. The Trump administration has located more than 24,400 of these children in-person, in the United States, through visits and door knocks," said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. "We've jumpstarted our efforts to rescue children who were victims of sex and labor trafficking by working with our state and local law enforcement partners to locate these children. President Trump and Secretary Noem are laser-focused on protecting children and will continue to work with federal, state, and local law enforcement to reunite children with their families."

The UAC Safety Verification Initiative began on November 10 in the state of Florida and will begin rolling out with other 287(g) partners across the country.

Ensuring the safety of unaccompanied children who came across our border requires a whole-of-government approach, and partnerships with state and local law enforcement agencies through the 287(g) task force model are critical to achieving this goal.

Below are examples of ICE administrative immigration arrests based on sponsors' criminal activity: 

• In Arizona, ICE arrested a Guinean alien sponsor who had been arrested by Arizona law enforcement for felony aggravated assault.
• In Florida:
  • ICE arrested a Honduran alien sponsor who had been convicted by Florida authorities for assault.
  • ICE arrested a Honduran alien sponsor who had been criminally arrested by Florida law enforcement for larceny, fraud, and counterfeiting.
  • ICE arrested a Honduran alien sponsor who had been criminally arrested by Florida law enforcement for attempted robbery with a weapon. 
  • ICE arrested a Guatemalan alien sponsor who had been arrested by Florida law enforcement for felony hit and run and driving without a license.
• In Georgia, ICE arrested a Guatemalan alien sponsor who had been convicted of domestic violence by Georgia authorities.
• In Maryland, ICE arrested a Guatemalan alien sponsor who had been arrested by Maryland law enforcement for rape of the unaccompanied child.
• In Massachusetts, ICE arrested an Ecuadorian alien sponsor who had been criminally arrested for enticement of a child under 16 and possession of child sexual abuse material.
• In Michigan, ICE arrested an El Salvadoran alien sponsor who had been convicted for drug trafficking. 
• In Nevada, ICE arrested a Honduran alien sponsor who had been arrested by Nevada law enforcement for assault.
• In New Jersey, ICE arrested a Guatemalan alien sponsor wanted for attempted aggravated homicide.
• In New York, ICE arrested a Venezuelan alien sponsor who had been criminally arrested by New York law enforcement for prostitution, possession of marijuana, and failure to appear.
• In North Carolina, ICE arrested a Guatemalan alien sponsor who had been criminally arrested by North Carolina law enforcement for attempted murder.
• In Ohio, ICE arrested a Honduran alien sponsor who had been convicted by Ohio authorities for a felony weapon offense.
• In Pennsylvania, a sponsor had already been removed to Honduras subsequent to an arrest for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
• In Texas, ICE and local law enforcement arrested a Guatemalan alien sponsor unrelated to the unaccompanied child for human trafficking and statutory rape. The 14-year-old unaccompanied child was pregnant with the sponsor’s baby.

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