As Catholics, we are called to uphold the dignity of every human person, especially the most vulnerable among us. That is why the troubling revelations surrounding the care of unaccompanied migrant children in the United States demand our attention and action. According to Corpus Christi for Unity and Peace (CUP), the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Charities have received approximately $449 million in federal funding to shelter and transport these children. Yet, a deeply unsettling crisis has unfolded: hundreds of thousands of children are now unaccounted for.
The Reality of Unaccompanied Migrant Children
Since the beginning of the Biden administration, an estimated 500,000 unaccompanied migrant children have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. Former ICE acting director Tom Homan and other sources report that over 300,000 of these children have gone missing after being placed in the care of Health and Human Services (HHS) through non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Even more alarming, “there has been no concerted effort to track down 291,000 unaccompanied migrant children,” according to HHS testimony last year.
ICE successfully located another 32,000 children, yet these minors failed to appear for their court hearings. This leaves a devastating total of 323,000 children whose whereabouts remain unknown, making them highly vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation.
The Catholic NGOs Involved
CUP’s report identifies four major Catholic organizations that have played a role in caring for these children:
- Catholic Charities USA: Provides immediate shelter, food, legal aid, and health services to unaccompanied minors.
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB): Manages federal funds and programs related to shelter services and legal representation.
- Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC): Offers legal assistance to migrant children.
- Catholic Relief Services (CRS): Focuses on migrant advocacy at the policy level.
While these organizations seek to support vulnerable children, whistleblowers like Tara Rodas have raised serious concerns about inadequate oversight. Rodas has described the current system as “government-sponsored, taxpayer-funded child trafficking”, pointing to cases where children have been placed with unvetted sponsors, some linked to organized crime.
Federal Funding and Lack of Oversight
According to CUP’s research, Catholic Charities and the USCCB have received nearly $449 million in federal funding to manage the care of unaccompanied migrant children. The breakdown is as follows:
- USCCB received $236 million since 2008 to oversee the Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) program.
- Catholic Charities affiliates received $213 million for direct care and transportation of these children.
- The Galveston-Houston and Miami Catholic Charities branches received the largest shares, with 87% and 81% of their total federal funds coming from the UAC program.
Despite this immense financial support, the results have been disastrous. “Child trafficking has evolved into an international syndicate of gangs and cartels that is highly organized and very efficient,” Rodas testified before Congress. Reports indicate that some missing children have been forced into labor, sex trafficking, or worse.
Did the Catholic Church Take Action?
Given the severity of this crisis, critical questions must be asked of the USCCB and Catholic Charities:
- Why were so many children placed with unvetted or unrelated sponsors?
- Why did these Catholic organizations continue accepting more children despite overwhelming evidence of mismanagement?
- What steps, if any, have been taken to find and protect the missing children?
According to CUP, “there was a rising percentage of children who were placed with an unrelated adult for fiscal years 2021, 2022, and 2023.” The percentage increased from 10% to 13% over that period, raising serious concerns about the vetting process.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that “the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society,” and that our moral obligation is to protect those who are most vulnerable (CCC 1929). The plight of these missing children is not only a humanitarian disaster but also a moral failure. The Church, which should be a beacon of hope, has instead found itself complicit in a system that appears to have prioritized funding over the well-being of children.
What Can We Do?
As faithful Catholics, we cannot stand idly by. It is imperative to demand answers from our bishops and Catholic organizations involved in this crisis. We must also urge our elected officials to take decisive action to:
- Investigate the full extent of the missing children crisis and hold accountable those responsible for mismanagement.
- Suspend funding to Catholic NGOs participating in the UAC program until transparency and accountability measures are implemented.
- Prioritize family reunification and proper vetting of sponsors to prevent further exploitation.
We appreciate President Trump’s executive order suspending the Refugee Settlement Admissions Program’s funding. However, as CUP notes, the Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) program remains separate and continues to operate. Therefore, additional scrutiny is needed to ensure this program does not perpetuate child trafficking under the guise of care.
Our faith calls us to be defenders of the innocent, and our Church must take responsibility for its role in this tragedy. As we approach the feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita, the patron saint of human trafficking victims, let us pray for the protection of these missing children. But let us also act.
Pope Francis reminds us, “Migrants and refugees are not pawns on the chessboard of humanity” (Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, 2014). Every child matters. Every life is sacred. It is time for Catholics to demand justice and accountability for the most vulnerable among us.
Sources: Corpus Christi for Unity and Peace (CUP), HHS Testimony, ICE Reports, Congressional Testimony of Tara Rodas.