Goodlatte Statement on Administration’s Policies Endangering Unaccompanied Alien Minors

Washington, D.C.  – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) issued the following statement on the Associated Press investigation finding that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lowered its safety standards during the border surge and placed unaccompanied alien minors in sponsors’ homes where some were sexually assaulted, starved, or forced to work with little or no pay. “The ongoing surge at the southwest border is a crisis of President Obama’s own making and places innocent children’s lives at risk. The Obama Administration’s policy of non-enforcement has encouraged these children to take the long and perilous journey to the U.S. in the first place, and now these children also face very dangerous situations once they arrive as a result of the Obama Administration’s lack of due diligence. Because the Administration took shortcuts in the vetting process, several children have been delivered into the hands of criminals and abusers and have faced horrific situations. This is tragic and unacceptable. “Since President Obama has refused to take the steps necessary to quell the border crisis, the House Judiciary Committee has approved several pieces of legislation that address the underlying issues causing the surge.  One bill, the Protection of Children Act, enhances the safety of unaccompanied minors crossing the border by ensuring they are not delivered into the hands of criminals or abusers. The House must take up this legislation to protect these children from both criminals and the Administration’s recklessness. Additionally, the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee will further examine this ongoing problem next week at a hearing on the border surge.” Background: The House Judiciary Committee obtained a document from a source that shows the Obama Administration’s lax immigration policies are fueling the crisis at our borders. From July 7, 2015 – September 30, 2015, Customs and Border Protection agents interviewed 345 family units apprehended at the border. Of those interviewed, nearly 70% said that they heard that if they came to the U.S. they would be released and/or receive some sort of immigration relief, such as asylum. Additionally, nearly 60% said it was the U.S. immigration policies that influenced their decision to come here. As part of the House Judiciary Committee’s efforts to address the ongoing border surge, it approved the Protection of Children Act (H.R. 1149) in March 2015. This bill, authored by Rep. John Carter (R-Texas), ensures that unaccompanied alien minors who make the dangerous journey to the United States are safely returned home. For those who stay with a sponsor in the United States while awaiting their immigration hearing, the bill provides for greater transparency and safety of these minors to ensure they are not inadvertently delivered into the hands of criminals or abusers. A summary of the Protection of Children Act can be found here.