Grassley Reignites Oversight of HHS’s Unaccompanied Migrant Children Program

WASHINGTON– Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is renewing hissweeping reviewof the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) unaccompanied migrant children (UC) program. Grassley is demanding answers from 23 HHS contractors and grantees regarding their facilitation of the program – which, under the Biden-Harris administration, allowed tens-of-thousands of migrant children to belostorhanded overto abusers, criminals and traffickers.
“[Last year], I sent an urgent inquiry to two dozen organizations that provided care for, or services related to, unaccompanied children in the custody of HHS. The organizations within the scope of my review have received over $9.3 billion in combined taxpayer funding from HHS and yet have chosen not to fully respond to Congress. I won’t accept further delay while children are at risk,”Grassley wrote.
“It’s unacceptable for recipients of taxpayer funding to refuse to provide information to Congress about the use of those funds. And it’s beyond unacceptable for these federally-funded entities to refuse to answer questions designed to determine whether they protected children,”Grassley continued. “I’m determined to protect UACs in U.S. custody and expose, through my oversight, fatal defects in the process for the purposes of ending child trafficking and other forms of exploitation.”
Grassley sent letters to the following contractors and grantees:

Background:
HHS contractors and grantees receive taxpayer dollars to provide unaccompanied migrant children with basic goods and services and vet adult sponsors through screenings, background checks, verification of the sponsor’s relationship to the child and home visits. Last Congress,Grassley’s oversightrevealedshocking mismanagementof the program and potentialevidence of child smuggling and trafficking.
In February and April 2024, Grassleywroteto two dozen HHS contractors and grantees regarding their work with the Biden administration’s UC program. Despite receiving over$9.3 billionin combined taxpayer funding, many of the organizations refused to respond to Grassley’s inquiries or provided incomplete and obstructive responses. During his nominations hearing in January 2025, now-HHS Secretary Kennedypledgedto Grassley that HHS would fully cooperate with his investigation into the UC program.
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