Federal immigration authorities have rescued more than 62,000 migrant children from human trafficking and forced-labor situations since President Donald Trump returned to office in January, White House border czar Tom Homan has announced.
Speaking during a Sunday appearance on “Fox & Friends”, Homan said the scope of the crisis was inherited from the previous administration and remains unprecedented in U.S. history.
“Over half a million children were smuggled into this country under Joe Biden,” Homan said.
“They lost track of 300,000.
“President Trump committed on day one that we will do everything we can to find every one of these children.”
“We know many of them are in sex trafficking.
“Many are in forced labor.
“Many are being abused,” he added.
“I can’t discuss some of the mistreatment we found out about.
“President Trump again proved why he’s the greatest president in my lifetime.
“Over 62,000 children rescued.”
WATCH:
Massive Numbers of Missing Children Under Previous Policies
Government tracking data confirms that between 2021 and 2025, more than 500,000 unaccompanied migrant children entered the United States.
Roughly 300,000 were never followed up on after initial processing, leaving authorities without confirmation of their safety or whereabouts.
The majority were released to unvetted sponsors under policies that later became the subject of congressional oversight inquiries.
Trump Administration’s Recovery Initiative
Upon returning to office on January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump ordered a government-wide mobilization to locate these children and dismantle associated trafficking networks.
The initiative has unfolded in multiple phases:
• March 2025 — HHS Task Force: A dedicated team was formed to investigate a backlog of more than 65,000 ignored reports involving missing migrant minors.
• July 25, 2025 — DHS Operational Rollout: Coordinated enforcement began, including on-site welfare checks and investigations into fraudulent sponsors.
• November 10, 2025 — State & Local Expansion: Partnerships with sheriffs’ offices and state investigators expanded operations nationwide.
These efforts target an estimated 300,000 to 450,000 children believed to have been placed in high-risk situations under prior federal policy.
Scope of Operations
The rescue initiative includes:
• Welfare checks and home visits
• Investigations into suspected trafficking sponsors
• Enforcement against smuggling and forced-labor rings
• Cross-agency information sharing
• Child-recovery operations coordinated with foreign partners
To date, DHS confirms more than 62,000 children have been recovered from circumstances involving sexual exploitation, forced labor, or other abuse.
Administration Officials Say the Crisis Was Preventable
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said earlier this year that the government is now confronting the long-term consequences of policies that incentivized large-scale child smuggling.
“The evil of human trafficking cannot be overstated. It’s modern-day slavery,” Noem said in July.
“By leaving our borders open and even encouraging people to come here illegally, Biden enabled the largest human-trafficking operation in modern history.”
She added: “Under the leadership of President Donald Trump, and working together at every level of government, we can win this fight. And we will.”
Record-Low Border Encounters Under New Enforcement Strategy
While rescue operations continue, DHS officials note that overall border encounters, including those involving unaccompanied minors, have fallen to their lowest levels in years under the administration’s current enforcement posture.
Officials say the next stage of the initiative will focus on:
• Identifying remaining children who were never properly vetted or located
• Prosecuting individuals involved in trafficking networks
• Strengthening interagency systems to prevent similar failures in the future
The White House has called the effort “a central pillar” of its broader strategy to secure the border and dismantle transnational exploitation networks.
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