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Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin accused the Biden administration of turning a "blind eye" to widespread reports of sexual abuse targeting migrants during a Thursday press conference.
"We're going to enforce our nation's laws, and we're going to right the wrongs that the Biden administration turned a blind eye to," Mullin said. "It's horrific to what's happening right in our own country because of four years of a blind eye that allowed unvetted sponsors to come pick up 450,000 kids on our borders … their own reports [were] reporting that over a third of the females, regardless of age, was sexually assaulted before they made it to their border."
In May 2025, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, obtained Department of Health and Human Services data showing that 65,605 reports regarding migrant children were ignored or dismissed under President Joe Biden, including 7,346 reports of human trafficking. Within 100 days of assuming power, the Trump administration had opened dozens of legal investigations from the previously inactive reports.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche arrives for the House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Committee Subcommittee hearing titled "Oversight Hearing - Department of Justice" in the Rayburn Building in Washington, D.C., on June 2, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)
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During the press conference, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that three individuals, all purportedly illegal immigrants from Guatemala, had been indicted in the Northern District of Ohio for allegedly conspiring to smuggle more than a dozen children into the United States by "exploiting the loopholes created by the last administration."
"This is one example, one indictment, but it is not unique. There are over 15,500 super-sponsor cases that we have identified, along with DHS. And again, these sponsor cases are when somebody sponsors more than three children, unrelated," Blanche said.
Mullin took an emotional tone later in the press conference.
"What's inhumane about taking care of our kids?" he asked. "As a father of six with three young girls, I'll do whatever I have to do, I will. I will move heaven and hell to go find these kids."
"We're going to bring you to justice. We're going to charge you, and we're going to work side by side with Todd Blanch and DOJ to make sure you pay for your crimes," Mullin added.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, President Donald Trump's pick for Homeland Security secretary, testifies during a Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 18, 2026. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo)
A 2021 HHS Office of Inspector General report found that large numbers of child migrant sponsors were not properly vetted before minors were released to them, including 19% of sponsors who authorities never received FBI fingerprint or state child abuse and neglect registry checks.
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President Joe Biden carries a milkshake while visiting Nantucket for the Thanksgiving holiday in 2023. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
While internal government probes uncovered problems in the Biden administration’s processing of migrant children, the administration did take some action in response to abuse concerns and sponsor-vetting failures.
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In July 2024, for instance, the Biden administration sued Southwest Key, a company that operated a processing facility for unaccompanied migrant children, alleging that employees sexually abused and harassed the minors in their care. The administration also accepted recommendations for reform following the 2021 HHS OIG report.
The DOJ and Biden’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
DHS directed Fox News Digital to Mullin's comments during the press conference when approached for additional comment.
"We found 146,000 kids so far. Some of these kids claimed that they were raped over 600 times. I don't care who you are. If you can't stand for law enforcement to go find these kids, who are you?" Mullins said during the press conference.
