The United States lost track of 1,500 children who came unaccompanied from other countries as migrants but claimed that it is not legally responsible for them.
A testimony from Department of Health and Human Services’ top official states that about 1,500 children, who came alone at the southern border of the US, are unaccounted for.
There is also a concern for more children being lost after the announcement of zero tolerance policy by Attorney General Jeff Sessions was made. In which he said that Trump Administration implements their policy of separating children from their parents. The parents are sent to Federal prisons, where they are tried for their crimes.
‘If you cross the border unlawfully, even a first offence, then we’re going to prosecute you,’ said United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions at a conference in Arizona on May 7. ‘That child will be separated from you, probably, as required by law. If you don’t want your child to be separated, then don’t bring him across the border illegally. It’s not our fault that somebody does that.’
Steven Wagner, who is the acting assistant secretary for the HHS’ Administration for Children and families, said in a Senate subcommittee on homeland security that between Oct and Dec of 2017, the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is under his purview, tried to contact 7,635 of such migrant children who were found alone.
In his testimony, he stated that they were unable to find out where 1,475 children are currently residing. El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras are the top three countries from where these children are thought to have come from. They came through the Southwest border escaping from violent gangs, abuse and drug cartels.
They were taken into the US’ government care and were sent to live relatives in most of the cases and that is how they lost track of 20% of these children who came through the border to find safe haven. The number is thought to be increased after the Trump Administration locks-in to implement it’s ‘zero tolerance policy.’
Democrats mistakenly tweet 2014 pictures from Obama’s term showing children from the Border in steel cages. They thought it was recent pictures in order to make us look bad, but backfires. Dems must agree to Wall and new Border Protection for good of country…Bipartisan Bill!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2018
Trump blamed Democrats for these separations of children from their parents, he tweeted: ‘Put pressure on the Democrats to end the horrible law that separates children from their parents once they cross the Border into the U.S. Catch and Release, Lottery and Chain must also go with it and we MUST continue building the WALL!’
Meanwhile, there is a chance that the number of missing children may have ended into the hands of human traffickers.
News Course: CNN
