Democrats Block Child Trafficking Deterrent to Require DNA Tests for Migrants Crossing Border with Kids

Senate Democrats have blocked what former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials called “a strong deterrent” against child trafficking at the United States-Mexico border.

On Thursday, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) sought to pass by unanimous consent the End Child Trafficking Now Act which would require DHS to DNA test all adult migrants and the children they arrive with at the southern border to prove they are relatives.

Senate Democrats blocked its passage.

The bill’s goal, Blackburn and other Senate Republicans said, is to end the process of child trafficking where adult migrants bring unrelated children with them to cross the border in the hopes of being released into the U.S. interior.

President Joe Biden’s DHS reportedly ended such DNA testing last year.

Last year, Lora Ries, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the Biden administration’s ending DNA testing would ultimately lead to a spike in child trafficking.

“The results are very predictable: A return to more child smuggling, child recycling, and child trafficking. Say you’re a family and we’ll take your word for it,” Ries said.

DHS officials have previously suggested that as many as 3-in-10 children arriving at the border with adult migrants are being trafficked.

Keep reading

Local CT Officials Ignored ICE Immigration Detainer, Released Illegal Immigrant “Sexual Predator” Into CT Neighborhood

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston apprehended an unlawfully present Honduran national who was arrested locally and charged with first degree sexual assault of a minor.

Turns out, the local officials in the sanctuary city of Hartford ignored the ICE immigration detainer and released the Honduran national from the Hartford Correctional Center.

“This is a disturbing example of how noncooperative jurisdictions can pose a significant threat to communities in our region,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons. “Despite the presence of an immigration detainer, local authorities released an alleged sexual predator onto the streets of a Connecticut neighborhood. ERO Boston stands ready to work with local jurisdictions to prioritize public safety throughout New England.”

According to the ICE report, the Honduran national unlawfully entered the U.S. in August 2013, near Rio Grande City, Texas. U.S. Border Patrol arrested him, issued him a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge, and released him on recognizance to family members in New Britain.

On September 14, 2023, police in New Britain arrested and charged him with sexual assault offenses, including first degree sexual assault against a minor under the age of 13 and illegal sexual contact with a minor.

On October 13, 2023, ERO Boston lodged a detainer against him with the Hartford Correctional Center.

Officials at the Hartford Correctional Center ignored ERO Boston’s immigration detainer and released the Honduran national Feb. 1, 2024.

Keep reading