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Lawmakers press HHS on thousands of missing unaccompanied children; secretary details new vetting steps
Summary
Rep. Clyde and other members pressed Secretary Kennedy about an inspector‑general estimate that hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied children placed by HHS remain unaccounted for. The secretary described new vetting steps and a data‑sharing “war room” to locate children and pledged enhanced fingerprinting and DNA testing for sponsors.
House members pressed Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about missing unaccompanied children placed by HHS, citing an inspector‑general estimate that as many as 291,000 such children may be unaccounted for and raising allegations of trafficking and sponsorship vetting failures.
Representative Clyde told the secretary the committee is “outraged” and described grand‑jury findings and other reporting alleging widespread sponsor failures and trafficking after children were released from federal custody. The congressman asked whether HHS had looked for missing children and how the department would hold contractors and staff accountable.
Kennedy described a stepped‑up, interagency effort. He said HHS has created a data‑sharing “war room” that…
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