Grassley presses HHS contractors on abuse allegations over placement of unaccompanied minors in U.S.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is pressing nine Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) contractors to respond to allegations of abuse within the program that places unaccompanied alien children with U.S.-based sponsors.

"My office has been informed through legally-protected whistleblower disclosures, including contractor records, showing children were sponsored without proper vetting or care, and at addresses that may be part of possible child-smuggling or trafficking rings," Grassley wrote in the letters sent to contractors. "Shockingly, children were even placed by HHS and one of its contractors after they were notified of likely MS-13 gang affiliation in the household, and records related to this placement appear to have been deleted, a possible attempt to cover up actions taken by the contractor and HHS."

 

Grassley wrote that "there’s a critical need for this scrutiny given significant evidence that the safety and well-being of unaccompanied children has been compromised by HHS, [Office of Refugee Resettlement], and in some cases the contractors and grantees to whom these children were entrusted."

He said that "recipients of taxpayer money" must provide a "full accounting to Congress and the American people with respect to how that money has been used."

Grassley argued that such a requirement is "particularly heightened regarding the critical issue of caring for children and preventing evil actors from turning their young lives into a living hell through human smuggling and trafficking for sex or forced labor.”