A recent U.S. bipartisan congressional investigation reported that migrant children in the government's care fell prey to human trafficking. The six-month inquiry found that the U.S. government, overwhelmed by the influx of tens of thousands of children crossing the border to flee violence in Central America, failed to conduct the most basic checks on the adults entrusted with caring for the children. The report revealed that many adult sponsors did not undergo thorough background checks and were not visited by government officials.
The congressional investigation came in response to a case in Ohio where six Guatemalan unaccompanied minors were placed with human traffickers and forced to work up to 12 hours a day on egg farms. The congressional report said that as part of the subcommittee's six-month investigation, it reviewed "more than 30 cases involving serious indications of trafficking and abuse."