Trump Administration Leads Crackdown On Trafficking Of Children At Border

The Trump administration is ramping up efforts to end human trafficking in the United States, with President Donald Trump’s team pledging full cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to stop these crimes. Stephen Miller, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff, told reporters, “We’ve seen, as you know, half a million children trafficked over a four-year period in the United States. This administration is going to investigate every instance of child trafficking, labor trafficking, s–x trafficking, child smuggling, and all the attendant crimes involved in that.”

Federal whistleblowers recently exposed how the lack of enforcement at the border has allowed criminal groups to exploit unaccompanied children. Tara Rodas, formerly of HHS, testified that minors placed with unvetted sponsors were often delivered to individuals with links to criminal organizations. She stated that thousands of children were funneled into dangerous situations, describing the system as a “delivery service” for traffickers.

Counter-trafficking expert Alicia Hopper explained how cartels use federal processes to advance their operations. Hopper shared that smugglers take advantage of weak policies, often referring to Border Patrol as “Migrant Uber.” These children, she said, are placed with sponsors who evade proper background checks.

Retired Border Patrol agent J.J. Carrell highlighted the horrifying reality of organ harvesting at the border. He testified that unaccompanied minors, particularly those traveling alone, are targeted by traffickers. Carrell said these children are often never seen again after crossing into the United States.

Lisa, an anti-trafficking advocate, reported an alarming rise in advertisements for trafficked girls, most of them migrants. She noted that online platforms like TikTok and Facebook are increasingly used for these illegal activities. Lisa’s organization has seen a significant increase in cases involving Spanish-language ads since 2021.

Since Biden entered office, over 500,000 unaccompanied minors have been encountered at the border. More than 85,000 of those children have disappeared after being placed with sponsors.