Trump Administration Puts Focus On Ending Border Trafficking Crisis

President Donald Trump’s administration is taking strong steps to combat the trafficking of children across the southern border. Stephen Miller, the president’s top immigration advisor, stated, “We’ve seen, as you know, half a million children trafficked over a four-year period in the United States. This administration is going to investigate every instance of child trafficking, labor trafficking, s–x trafficking, child smuggling, and all the attendant crimes involved in that.”

Congressional hearings have brought attention to failures in policies that have allowed unaccompanied minors to fall victim to criminal groups. Whistleblower Tara Rodas testified that minors have been placed in the care of sponsors with little to no vetting, leaving them exposed to exploitation. She described the federal system as being manipulated by criminals and gangs.

Counter-trafficking expert Alicia Hopper explained during her testimony that cartels take advantage of weak border enforcement to carry out trafficking operations. Smugglers reportedly use Border Patrol as a tool, referring to agents as “Migrant Uber” due to their role in transporting children to sponsors.

Retired Border Patrol agent J.J. Carrell revealed that organ harvesting is a growing issue, with children disappearing after crossing into the United States. He stated that these crimes are not isolated incidents but rather a systematic problem that has grown over time.

Lisa, who leads a nonprofit dedicated to dismantling trafficking networks, shared that online ads targeting Spanish-speaking buyers have surged. She noted that platforms like TikTok and Facebook are now used by traffickers to advertise victims, many of whom are migrant girls.

Since 2021, Customs and Border Protection has encountered more than 500,000 unaccompanied minors at the border. Federal officials report that over 85,000 of these children remain missing after being released to sponsors.