President Donald Trump’s administration does not know where an additional 1,500 immigrant children — who entered the U.S. illegally and were assigned sponsors — are located, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
According to a new congressional report, HHS officials were unable to locate 1,488 of the 11,254 children who were moved from federal custody or shelters to the home of a sponsor in this past year. That number was based on follow-up calls the department made to sponsors, according to the Times.
An HHS official pushed back against the congressional report and told the Times that that the kids were not “lost,” but that the sponsors likely just didn’t answer when the call was made.
In April, the Department of Health and Human Services determined it was unaware of the whereabouts of an additional 1,475 children.
Senators have introduced bipartisan legislation that would expand HHS’ and individual states’ responsibility for keeping track of migrant children after they’re released from shelters.
