New HHS Data Confirms Biden-Harris Admin Placed Tens-of-Thousands of Migrant Children with Unvetted Sponsors, Declined Recommended Home Studies

BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA– Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is making public Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) data showing the Biden-Harris administration placed over 11,000 migrant children with unvetted sponsors who were not the child’s parent or legal guardian, and did not conduct home studies for over 79,000 migrant children under the age of 12.
The Trump administration provided Grassley the data in response to his oversight requests, which were stonewalled by the previous administration. HHS additionally outlined the Trump administration’s efforts to implement badly needed reforms in the Unaccompanied Children (UC) program.
“My oversight continues to expose disturbing evidence that the Biden-Harris administration turned a blind eye to tens of thousands of kids who needed proper supervision and care. It’s appalling to prioritize speed and optics over the safety and wellbeing of children,”Grassley said. “I appreciate the Trump administration’s efforts to undo the damage caused by the last administration’s failed border policies, and I’ll continue my oversight of the issue to ensure abuse like this never happens again.”
HHS Data Summary:From October 2020 to September 2024, HHS cared for 468,736 unaccompanied migrant children. From October 2024 to June 2025, HHS has cared for 21,399 unaccompanied migrant children.
Background checksAccording to a summary of data provided by HHS’s Office of Refugee Resettlement, from January 2021 to January 2025,11,488 migrant children were placed with unvetted sponsorswho were not their parent or legal guardian, and who were not fingerprinted or did not receive a background check. Per U.S. Code 1232(c)(3)(A), sponsors must submit to an FBI criminal history check, based on digital fingerprints, if they are not the parent or legal guardian of a migrant child. The Biden-Harris administration disregarded this law and failed torequest or receive fingerprints or background checks for approximately 11 percent of migrant childrenplaced with sponsors who were not their parent or legal guardian.
Home studiesDuring that same period, the Biden-Harris administrationdid not conduct home studies for 79,143 migrant children under the age of 12, including1,961 childrenwho were placed in households where a home study was recommended. HHS regulations require home studies before releasing a child 12 years or younger to a sponsor who is not their parent or legal guardian. The Biden-Harris administration ignored this rule andfailed to conduct home studies for approximately 10 percent of migrant children who were recommended to have one.
Ongoing reformsHHS launched an interagency initiative in February 2025 to identify and address suspected fraud, exploitation and trafficking in the program. Specifically, the initiative facilitates coordination between HHS employees, other federal agencies and law enforcement, allowing potential trafficking and criminal activities to be referred to the appropriate investigative body. Last Congress, Grassleyexposedthe Biden administration for barring HHS employees from communicating with law enforcement, which was verified in abombshell reportearlier this year.
Read HHS’ responsive letter to Grassley and the HHS data summaryHERE.
Background:Grassley hasspearheaded effortsto protect unaccompanied migrant children from exploitation and abuse formore than a decade.
Last Congress, Grassley repeatedly warned that the Biden-Harris UC program’sinadequate safeguards,lax vetting proceduresandlimited inter-agency communicationallowed children to be lost or released to dangerous sponsors. Additionally, Grassleyheld a whistleblower roundtableto examine the abuse of migrant children under the Biden-Harris administration and spearheaded two legislative reforms - one tooverturn a dangerous Biden-Harris rulethat enabled child exploitation, and another tocut off federal fundingto contractors who facilitated sexual abuse against migrant children. Democrats refused to attend Grassley’s roundtable and opposed both pieces of legislation.
This Congress, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector Generalpublisheda report which validated Grassley’s investigative findings and confirmed the Biden-Harris administrationlost track ofhundreds-of-thousands of migrant children,placedchildren with dangerous sponsors andrestricted informationsharing with law enforcement. Grassley alsoexposedthe Biden-Harris administration for ignoring or dismissing over 65,000 reports regarding migrant children, including over 7,300 reports of human trafficking.
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