In a decisive move to address the alarming issue of child trafficking, Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina has put forth a legislative proposal aimed at safeguarding unaccompanied alien children (UACs).
The initiative, known as the "No More Missing Children Act," seeks to establish a comprehensive UAC Anti-Trafficking Program, which is designed to shield these vulnerable minors from the perils of trafficking, abduction, and exploitation.
According to the Daily Caller, Mace's proposal emerges as a response to what she describes as the "Biden Administrations reckless negligence," which she claims has left these children exposed to a "lawless system" where they fall prey to traffickers and other criminal elements.
Mace, emphasizing her dual role as both a mother and a legislator, stated, "We refuse to sit by while children are exploited. Building on President Trumps mission to rescue missing children, our No More Missing Children Act restores law and order and takes the fight to the criminals exploiting our immigration system."
The proposed legislation outlines stringent measures to ensure the safety of these children. It mandates thorough background checks on potential sponsors and all adults residing in their households, utilizing biometric and DNA data.
Additional safeguards include GPS tracking of both the sponsor and the child, pre-placement home inspections, unannounced follow-up visits, monthly phone check-ins, and the immediate removal of a child from custody if any safety concerns arise or program rules are breached.
Furthermore, the bill explicitly prohibits individuals with criminal backgrounds, gang affiliations, sex offender status, or terrorist connections from gaining custody of unaccompanied minors. It also imposes rigorous requirements on sponsors to prioritize the well-being of the children under their care.
This legislative effort follows a concerning report from the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General, which highlighted that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lost track of over 32,000 unaccompanied migrant children since fiscal year 2019.
The report criticized ICE's failure to reliably monitor these children once they exited federal custody, revealing that nearly 291,000 children did not receive court notices after illegally crossing the Southern border.
The audit, which scrutinized ICE's capacity to track the status and whereabouts of these minors post-release, found that more than 448,000 unaccompanied children were transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement between fiscal years 2019 and 2023. Alarmingly, ICE was unable to account for all children released by HHS who subsequently failed to appear in immigration court, with over 32,000 UACs missing their scheduled hearings during this period.
A House report accompanying the "Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2024" draws on data from the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, estimating that 60% of UACs fall into the hands of cartels, who exploit them through child pornography and drug trafficking.
In addition to the "No More Missing Children Act," Mace has introduced several other measures focused on immigration and border security. These include the Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act, which enforces swift penalties on illegal predators, and the Expedited Removal Expansion Act, which seeks to expedite the removal process for illegal immigrants.
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