Thousands of migrant children were allegedly sexually abused while being held in U.S. custody, according to documents released Tuesday by Congressman Ted Deutch.
The documents show that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) received more than 4,556 sexual abuse complaints from October 2014 to July 2018. During the same time, the Department of Justice received 1,303 complaints.
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HHS manages the care of tens of thousands of migrant children, most of whom crossed the border alone. Children are placed in shelters until they can be released to sponsors, usually a parent or close relative. The shelters are privately run but contracted by the government.
Some of the allegations involve staff members having rumoured relationships, to showing minors pornography and “forcibly touching minors’ genitals,” according to news outlet Axios. Other allegations involve abuse from fellow migrant youth.
Deutch, who gave the documents to Axios first, spoke about them during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday. The hearing focused on the Trump administration’s now-expired policy of separating migrant children from parents at the border.
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“These documents detail an environment of systemic sexual assault by staff on unaccompanied minors,” Deutch said.
“Over the past three years, there have been 154 staff-on-unaccompanied-minor — let me repeat that, staff-on-unaccompanied-minor — allegations of sexual assault,” he said.
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“This works out on average to one sexual assault by HHS staff on unaccompanied minor per week,” he added.
Caitlin Oakley, a spokesperson for HHS spoke out about the allegations in a statement to Axios.
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“These are vulnerable children in difficult circumstances,” she said. “When any allegations of abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect are made, they are taken seriously and ORR acts swiftly to investigate and respond.”
Jonathan White, who works for HHS, and was also at the hearing Tuesday, responded to the issue by saying the allegations are against contract, not permanent government staff.
White also said the majority of such allegations “prove to be unfounded when they are investigated” by law enforcement. Axios noted that some of the allegations led to staff members being removed or fired.
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Migrant children detention in U.S.
Deutch criticized the government’s handling of migrant children, writing on Twitter that “clearly this Administration is not equipped to keep these children safe inside their facilities.”
It’s difficult to get exact numbers on how many migrant children are detained by the U.S.
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The New York Times reported last December that there are about 15,000 being held in 100 shelters.
The U.S. has faced widespread criticism over the issue, especially after two migrant children died in custody late last year.
— With a file from the Associated Press
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