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A whistleblower who witnessed firsthand what she described as a "sophisticated network" of juvenile migrant smuggling into forced labor and other types of slavery is urging Congress to take action to rein in the United States' participation in the network.

The hearing, titled "The Biden Border Crisis: Exploitation of Unaccompanied Alien Children," was held before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, and featured testimony from Health and Human Services (HHS) whistleblower Tara Lee Rodas.

Rodas, who was assigned with HHS at an Emergency Intake Site in Pomona, California, addressed senators about her experiences on the ground on Wednesday. 

Rodas detailed how she thought she would place children in loving homes and realized instead that they were being trafficked with a network that begins in their country and ends when " [Office of Refugee Resettlement] delivers a child to a sponsor — some sponsors are criminals and traffickers and members of Transnational Criminal Organizations. Some sponsors view children as commodities and assets to be used for earning income — this is why we are witnessing an explosion of labor trafficking."

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According to CBP figures, the number of unaccompanied alien children (UACs) arriving at the border has increased from 33,239 in fiscal year 2020 to over 146,000 in fiscal year 2021 and 152,000 in fiscal year 2022. More than 70,000 UAC interactions have occurred so far in the fiscal year 2023.

Officials overlooking warnings

When child migrants are met at the border, they are taken into HHS care and subsequently reunited with a sponsor, who is usually a parent or family member who is already in the United States.

However, the government has been hammered by a series of New York Times exposes revealing an increase in child abuse, in which minors are put into labor – sometimes to recoup their smuggling costs. It has raised worries that the US is complicit in child trafficking by shipping minors to sponsors. According to the New York Times, officials allegedly overlooked warnings of an "explosive" increase in the child labor sector. 

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"Whether intentional or not, it could be argued that the US government has become the middleman in a large-scale, multibillion-dollar child trafficking operation that is run by bad actors seeking to profit off of the lives of children," Rodas said.

Rodas recounted how children became enslaved to their "sponsors" because they couldn't seek aid in English or Spanish, and how sponsors used several addresses to get child sponsorships. Rodas stated that she does not see it as a political problem, but rather a humanitarian one, adding that the crisis has been ongoing for over ten years.

'HHS needs to care for these children'

Rodas said her life would never be the same after what she witnessed, noting that children were being exposed to modern-day slavery instead of being given the American dream.

Republicans have blamed the continued problem on the Biden administration's policies, which they claim have promoted illegal migration and parents to hand up their children to traffickers. Democrats have stressed that the issue predates the Biden administration and have highlighted measures to strengthen the monitoring of sponsors, including new task groups, more information sharing, and proposals for increased financing.

Rodas expressed her hope that lawmakers would end the crisis and safeguard the lives of the children.

She demanded increased monitoring and openness from HHS, including the Office of Inspector General, an end to "retaliation" against whistleblowers, an end to a "culture of speed over safety," and a mandate that sponsors report to the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

"As it is written: A wise man listens to advise, while a fool continues in his folly. HHS needs to be wise to care for these children."

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra pushed back last month on the agency's inability to contact 85,000 youngsters, claiming that Congress limits HHS's authority.

"Congress has given us certain authorities. Our authorities end when we have found a suitable sponsor to place that child with. We try and do some follow-up, but neither the child or the sponsor is actually obligated to follow up with us," he explained.

Meanwhile, Susan Rice, who departed her position as domestic policy advisor last week, replied to the Times allegation that her staff was provided evidence of a rising migrant child labor issue.

"We were never informed of any kind of systematic problem with child labor or migrant child labor," she explained.