Caitlin Baldwin
Thousands Of Kids A Year Migrate To The US Alone. What Happens Next?
The U.S. lost track of nearly 1,500 migrant children last year.
LEARN MORESeptember 19, 2018
The Department of Health and Human Services has reportedly lost track of around 1,500 kids that came into the country illegally.
That's according to a report from The New York Times. It claims the department was unable to account for the whereabouts of 1,488 migrant kids out of more than 11,000 the department released to sponsors in the U.S.
The Department of Health and Human Services says it's not legally responsible for the children after they are out of its care and is only required to call and check on the kids 30 days after they were released.
A spokesperson told the Times the children are not lost, their sponsors "simply did not respond or could not be reached when this voluntary call was made." The follow up calls were made between April 1 and June 30.
But some lawmakers don't think that's enough to keep migrant children safe. Bipartisan Senate legislation released Tuesday would make the department run background checks for potential sponsors and ensure the caregivers attend immigration court hearings, among other things.
The report isn't the first of its kind for Health and Human Services. Back in April the department reportedly lost track of almost 1,500 children.
