DHS inspector general says ICE cannot reliably track hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied children released from federal custody

The Department of Homeland Security inspector general told a House Oversight subcommittee that his office’s audit found ICE cannot effectively monitor the locations and status of all unaccompanied alien children once they leave federal custody.

"Our audit revealed significant gaps in how ICE monitors and manages the cases of UACs once they're released from federal custody," Inspector General Joseph V. Kuffari said in opening remarks summarizing his office's report.

The audit, published in March and discussed at the hearing, covers fiscal years 2019 through 2023. The report states that ICE transferred more than 448,000 unaccompanied alien children to the Department of Health and Human Services during that period. Of that group, the audit found ICE did not issue more than 233,000 notices to appear in immigration court, more than 31,000 sponsor release addresses were blank or undeliverable, and more than 43,000 children who were served notices failed to appear for their scheduled court dates.

Why it matters: The subcommittee and the inspector general framed the gaps not simply as record-keeping problems but as risks to children…