Trump Administration Claims 146,000 Missing Migrant Children Located, Hundreds of Thousands Still Unaccounted For
The Trump administration has said that it has located approximately 146,000 migrant children who went missing after entering the United States irregularly, while nearly 300,000 others remain unaccounted for, according to officials from the Department of Homeland Security.
Speaking at a press briefing in Washington on 11 June, homeland security official Markwayne Mullin alleged that weaknesses in border management under former President Joe Biden allowed large numbers of children to enter the country unlawfully.
Mullin said identifying and locating missing migrant children is now one of the administration’s top priorities. “So far, around 146,000 children have been located,” he said, adding that efforts are ongoing to trace the remaining cases.
On the same day, the US Department of Justice filed charges in an Ohio federal court against three Mexican nationals accused of involvement in child trafficking operations.
The accused include Maritza Azucena Cahuec (38), her brother Carlos Agustin Cahuec (33), and Gladys Marina Chal Chen (20). Prosecutors allege they helped smuggle children from Mexico into the United States between December 2020 and October 2023.
According to court documents, many of the trafficked children later went missing, and their families have received no information about their whereabouts. Investigators believe some of the minors may have been victims of exploitation and human trafficking.
The indictment also states that Gladys Marina Chal Chen herself was once a victim of trafficking before entering the United States, and later became involved in the same smuggling network after receiving asylum.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the legal action would help advance efforts to locate missing children and dismantle trafficking networks.
Republican Congressman Chris Smith, representing New Jersey, praised the administration’s response, claiming that border conditions under the Biden administration were “out of control” and had been exploited by criminal groups. He added that stricter border enforcement had since reduced illegal crossings.
However, officials did not provide details on the legal status of the children who have been located, including whether they will be reunited with guardians or granted legal residency in the United States.
