**Alarming Surge: Migrant Children Fall Victim to Traffickers at Border**
U.S. Border Patrol agents are sounding the alarm over a distressing increase in the number of migrant children being exploited and drugged by human traffickers.
Reports have emerged that some of these innocent youths, as young as eight, are being used as pawns to facilitate illegal border crossings, often showing up heavily sedated to prevent them from speaking to authorities.
In shocking instances, Border Patrol officials encountered a woman traveling with two kids, ages 8 and 11, who had drugged them with sleeping pills, all while falsely claiming to be their mother.
The children were not even the ones listed on the authentic birth certificates she presented.
This manipulation of vulnerable children is not just a one-time occurrence; agents report seeing repeated cases of the same children being “recycled” by smugglers, as they pose as family units to exploit the Biden-Harris administration’s lax border policies.
This practice has alarmed officials, who underscore that the leniency shown under the current administration has become an open invitation for traffickers to abduct children, further perpetuating a cycle of exploitation.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) recently highlighted the grim reality during a Senate Judiciary Committee session, pointing to the troubling wristbands worn by migrants that indicate how much money they owe to cartel operators.
Cruz described these wristbands as “modern-day leg irons,” illustrating the stark dangers children face as they are often sold into sex slavery.
Moreover, concerns extend beyond just the immediate dangers at the border. Reports reveal systemic issues within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as they rush to place unaccompanied minors with sponsors.
Formerly, around 85,000 unaccompanied migrant children were reported lost under HHS’s care, a number that has alarmingly grown to an estimated 320,000.
This rush to release children into sponsorship arrangements has led to even more disturbing testimonies, where young migrants have reported being exploited financially by their sponsors, sometimes facing threats of homelessness if they cannot pay exorbitant fees for their care.
With the Biden-Harris administration’s ongoing commitment to open borders and swift placements, Republicans are reiterating the need for enhanced border security and more accountable child welfare practices.
The tragic picture of children being used and abused at the border underlines the urgent necessity for policy changes that prioritize the safety and well-being of these vulnerable individuals.
As the debate continues, this situation underscores a larger issue of accountability and responsiveness by the current administration, raising questions about how many more innocent lives must be jeopardized before meaningful action is taken.
Sources:
slaynews.comrumble.comlite.cnn.com