US Begins House Checks and Review of 4,50,000 Migrant Children from Biden Era

The Trump administration announced a national review targeting approximately 450,000 migrant children who crossed the US-Mexico border without their parents, during President Joe Biden’s administration.  The review encompasses a massive operation spanning multiple federal agencies including the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to verify the welfare of these children and that their adult sponsors are legitimate.

Most of the minors who appeared during surges at the southern border were put with sponsors—most often relatives or family friends under a long-standing established federal program. While many placements included verified and legitimate guardianship, the Trump administration claims that the Biden administration didn’t conduct rigidly performed background checks, which included those that may have left minors exposed to abuse and/or exploitation.

Home Raids: 

Federal officials are now going door-to-door to assess risk factors and conduct interviews across the country, particularly for those who have been identified based on all of the over 65,000 complaints that have been filed since 2023. The review reported that 100 children have already been removed from sponsor homes back to government custody.

Advocacy organizations have expressed worries that people would misuse this review for immigration enforcement. There have been reports of families being deported after family welfare checks, and lawyers describing vigilance, armed agents, causing concern among undocumented sponsors. 

New Rules:

The Trump administration put in place new rules that increased scrutiny for adult sponsors, requiring fingerprinting, DNA testing, and proof of income, all of which could make reunification harder for many families. Lastly, the system is stretched even thinner by cuts to legal aid by reducing the number of lawyers available to unaccompanied minors.

As the review progresses, it demonstrates a revived and controversial focus on enforcing immigration through child welfare processes.