HHS Secretary Grilled on Safety of Resettled Illegal Immigrant Children

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra faced bipartisan criticism on Capitol Hill on March 14 over his department’s handling of the resettlement of illegal immigrant children in its charge. The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), housed under HHS, is responsible for the relocation of unaccompanied illegal immigrant children apprehended at the U.S.–Mexico border. The program has come under fire in recent months amid reports that many of those children have been placed into abusive, exploitative, or otherwise dangerous conditions—and with little follow-up from HHS. “We’re continuing to hear reports suggesting the existence of trafficking schemes that are preying on these vulnerable individuals—allegations that we’re hearing of coercion, forced labor,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) told the secretary at a Senate Finance Committee hearing....