Explained: New Report on Sexual Abuse and Migrant Children

Getty Images / John Moore / Staff

What Happened

• As CBS News reported, “Thousands of migrant children allegedly suffered sexual abuse while in U.S. government custody over the past four years, according to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) documents released Tuesday by Florida Democratic Rep. Ted Deutch.”
• A recently-released report shows that there were a 4,556 complaints of sexual abuse on minors to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) between 2014-2018. The Justice Department received 1,303 complaints during the same timeframe. It’s unclear if there are overlaps in those allegations. Most allegations were of abuse from other minors, while 178 were made against staff at government housing facilities.
• The report was produced as part of an oversight hearing to examine the effects on the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance family separation policy, which separated more than 2,700 migrant children from their families, who crossed the border illegally.

"Did people consider that when you went forward on the 'zero tolerance policy' that we're moving forward on a policy that would put these kids at risk of sexual assaults? That's the question.” - Rep. Ted Deutch

What’s Next

HHS commented on the release of the documents to CBS News stating, "These are vulnerable children in difficult circumstances, and ORR fully understands its responsibility to ensure that each child is treated with the utmost care. When any allegations of abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect are made, they are taken seriously and ORR acts swiftly to investigate and respond."

The disturbing news illustrates how our immigration system does not protect the most vulnerable among us fleeing violence and persecution. It’s time for us to hold our elected officials accountable.

Call +1 202 335 8470 to connect with your representatives. You'll get some tips from me, Tej - Civic Action Lead at DoSomething, to demand that they look into this serious issue. They need to investigate this issue further and hold government agencies accountable for the safety of immigrant children.