Key Takeaways
• Nearly 70% of sponsor applications for unaccompanied minors were found to be fraudulent under the Biden administration.
• Legal aid funding for unaccompanied minors has been inconsistently provided, with multiple suspensions and a federal court intervention in 2025.
• ICE agents began controversial “wellness checks” on immigrant children, raising concerns about enforcement over child welfare among advocacy groups.
A former Border Patrol chief and Trump immigration advisor, Chris Clem, is turning national attention to the problems involving unaccompanied minors who entered the United States under the Biden administration. Clem, who now works closely with the Trump administration, has reported that nearly 70% of the applications from sponsors hoping to care for these unaccompanied minors were found to be fraudulent. This news has put a large spotlight on the weaknesses in the current immigration system, especially in how it deals with children and the adults who are supposed to care for them.
The Scope of the Problem
The number of unaccompanied minors arriving in the United States has increased sharply in recent years. Nearly 470,000 children entered the country during the past four years under the Biden administration, according to Clem. Many of these minors do not have a parent or legal guardian traveling with them. Instead, after they cross the border, they are often placed with sponsors—adults in the United States who claim to be related to or able to provide care for the children.
The system is meant to protect children by quickly moving them out of crowded border facilities and into safer homes. However, Clem says the process has not worked as intended. The system, he says, is “overloaded” and “did the opposite for many, as the system was flawed, and the policies and practices were inadequate.” This means many children were put at risk because their sponsors were not thoroughly checked or vetted. In some cases, these sponsors were illegal immigrants themselves, or even people involved in criminal activity.
Fraud in Sponsor Applications
The Trump immigration advisor’s recent findings have raised important worries about the safety and well-being of these vulnerable children. Clem’s team has discovered that around 70% of the sponsor applications were fraudulent. In simple terms, this means that in seven out of ten cases, the person claiming to care for a child was not telling the truth about their background or relationship to the minor.
This widespread fraud has led to children being released into unsafe situations. Some sponsors had no real connection to the children, while others gave false documents or lied about their identities. These problems show that the vetting process—how the government checks if a sponsor is safe and honest—is not strong enough.
An example from Ohio makes these dangers very clear. In this case, a man said he was the adult brother of a 14-year-old girl. He used this claim to become her sponsor and was approved by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. But after the girl moved in, it was discovered that she was actually living in a house with other unauthorized adults. She was assaulted and became pregnant, a shocking outcome that eventually led to the sponsor’s arrest.
Legal Actions and Flaws in the System
When the above case in Ohio came to light, the federal government first chose not to pursue fraud charges. However, state prosecutors got involved and pushed for more action. Eventually, the authorities were able to charge Juan Tiul Xi, a 26-year-old from Guatemala 🇬🇹, with human trafficking, fraud, and lying to federal agents. The Justice Department documented these charges in April, showing just how serious the consequences can be when unaccompanied minors are placed in unsafe hands.
Clem describes thousands of similar cases involving assault and abuse. According to internal reviews by Clem’s team, much of the sponsor information was unverifiable or outright false. This means many children were put in homes without knowing if the adults there would truly keep them safe.
Changes in Legal Representation for Minors
A separate but related challenge involves the legal help available for unaccompanied minors. The Biden administration made changes to how these children could access lawyers while trying to stay in the United States. In February 2025, the administration stopped funding legal services for these minors. Later, when outcry followed, they lifted the stop-work order and allowed the services to restart. But by April 2025, legal programs were disrupted once again. A federal court eventually stepped in and issued a temporary restraining order so that legal representation could continue.
These back-and-forth changes have created confusion for unaccompanied minors. Without legal support, many children may not understand their rights or the complex immigration process. This makes it harder for them to ask for asylum or fight removal from the country.
Groups like the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights have spoken out against the funding cuts. They believe legal representation is key for children who have often come to the United States alone, scared, and unsure what to do next. Without a lawyer by their side, these children face a much tougher road.
“Wellness Checks”: A Controversial Practice
Another new practice that has raised concerns is the use of so-called “wellness checks.” The administration has sent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and other federal law enforcement officials to homes and schools where unaccompanied immigrant children live. Officials claim these visits are meant to make sure the children are safe and well cared for.
However, many immigration advocates say the real purpose of these checks is more about immigration enforcement than children’s safety. Marisa Chumil from the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights says these checks “have nothing to do with promoting children’s wellness or welfare” and do harm instead. She explains that children now live in fear, worried about being separated from sponsors or taken away by government agents.
For children who have already suffered trauma or uncertainty, unannounced visits from law enforcement make life even scarier. Instead of feeling safe and welcomed, children and their caretakers may become fearful and distrustful of authorities.
Efforts to Improve the Vetting Process
Recognizing the dangers, the Trump administration is putting efforts into fixing the vetting process for sponsor applications. Chris Clem is working with the Department of Health and Human Services to raise standards and double-check documents provided by potential sponsors. Their goal is to stop fraud and prevent children from ending up with people who should not be caring for them.
This crackdown means looking closely at every piece of identification, addressing, and relationship claims made by sponsors. The teams involved search for signs of fake paperwork and try to confirm that sponsors are who they say they are. Where fraud is found, authorities now aim to arrest and charge those who provided false information. These efforts have already led to tougher enforcement in cases where children were at risk.
The Stakes for Children and Families
The findings from Chris Clem and his work as a Trump immigration advisor show that children are the ones most hurt by the current system’s gaps. Many unaccompanied minors have faced dangerous journeys just to reach the United States 🇺🇸. When they arrive, they should be put in safe homes and given the right care, not handed off to unknown or risky adults.
Families who hope to care for younger relatives also face trouble. Honest sponsors who follow the law might get caught in longer waits and tougher checks because of the widespread fraud. This can keep families separated for even longer periods.
On the other side, critics argue that tougher rules could make it much harder for children to find any sponsor at all. If the government makes it too difficult or scary to step forward, fewer people may try to care for unaccompanied minors. This could leave children waiting weeks or even months in government shelters, separated from any kind of family support.
Competing Priorities: Security Versus Child Welfare
The ongoing debate about how to manage unaccompanied minors brings two main priorities into conflict. On one hand, authorities want to make sure every child is placed with a trusted adult who can keep them safe. On the other hand, there is a need to avoid creating so much red tape or fear that children end up stuck in government custody for too long.
Supporters of strict vetting, like Clem, say that public safety and the children’s safety must come first. They believe that reviewing every sponsor application with care will prevent tragic outcomes like the case in Ohio.
Others, especially legal advocates and children’s rights groups, warn that making the process harder could have its own bad results. They point to the lack of legal help and the stress caused by “wellness checks” as ways the system may actually do harm. They stress that unaccompanied minors are already a very vulnerable group that need support and protection, not more obstacles.
Political Tensions Surrounding Immigration Policy
The approach taken by the Trump immigration advisor comes at a time of rising political tension over immigration policy in the United States. The issue of unaccompanied minors has become a flashpoint in arguments between supporters of stricter border control and those who favor more humanitarian approaches.
The Biden administration’s steps, from how unaccompanied minors are processed to the rules around legal help, have faced sharp criticism from both sides. Some say the administration has not done enough to protect children. Others argue it has made the system more confusing and less safe.
These debates play out not only in Washington, D.C., but also in cities and states across the country where unaccompanied minors and their sponsors live. Local schools, health systems, and community groups are often left to try to support these children as best they can, even as the policies keep changing.
What This Means for the Future
The growing number of unaccompanied minors and the problems in the sponsor system show that changes are needed. As reported by VisaVerge.com, policy makers, legal groups, and children’s advocates all agree that these children must be protected from harm and that sponsor applications must be checked carefully.
At the same time, the government must make sure that harmless families who want to care for their relatives can do so quickly and safely. Finding the right balance is not easy, but it is essential if children are to get the help and safety they deserve.
Some possible next steps include:
- Making sponsor checks even stronger, including deeper background checks and verifying all documents.
- Giving children stable access to legal help so they understand their rights.
- Rethinking practices like “wellness checks” to focus more on support than on enforcement.
- Improving communication and support for states and local groups that care for these children.
Where to Learn More
If you or your community wants to know more about the government process for unaccompanied minors or have questions about sponsor applications, the Office of Refugee Resettlement has information on its official Unaccompanied Children Program. This site provides details about how children are cared for and what sponsors must do.
Summary
The recent investigations led by Chris Clem, a Trump immigration advisor, have revealed serious flaws in how unaccompanied minors are cared for in the United States 🇺🇸. Nearly 70% of sponsor applications being fraudulent means the safety of many children has been at risk, as shown by the tragic cases and harsh outcomes reported.
With changes happening often—like stopping and restarting legal help, and using “wellness checks”—immigrant children, families, and communities are left facing more stress and uncertainty. As the government considers new ways to fix these problems, experts agree that both strong protection for children and fair treatment for sponsors are needed. Everyone—lawmakers, advocates, agencies, and communities—has a role to play in making sure that unaccompanied minors are safe, cared for, and given a real chance for a better future.
Learn Today
Unaccompanied Minors → Children entering the U.S. without a parent or legal guardian, often placed with sponsors after border entry.
Sponsor Applications → Documents submitted by adults seeking to care for unaccompanied minors, which must prove identity, capability, and relationship.
Wellness Checks → Government visits to homes or schools of unaccompanied minors, intended to ensure child safety but also critiqued as enforcement.
Office of Refugee Resettlement → A federal agency managing the custody and placement of unaccompanied migrant children in the United States.
Temporary Restraining Order → A court order temporarily prohibiting certain government actions, here used to continue legal services for minors.
This Article in a Nutshell
A growing crisis surrounds unaccompanied minors entering the U.S. under the Biden administration. Investigations reveal nearly 70% of sponsor applications are fraudulent, exposing children to abuse and exploitation. Unstable legal aid funding and controversial wellness checks complicate matters, leaving vulnerable minors at greater risk and communities demanding urgent reforms.
— By VisaVerge.com
Read more:
• Neha Sharma escapes New Zealand on Singapore Airlines after fraud scheme
• University administrators defend admissions protocols after student fraud trials
• AKM Law Study uncovers sharp rise in immigration fraud in Canada
• DOJ signals Boeing 737 MAX fraud trial may end in settlement
• Marcelo Soto-Luna Jailed for New Immigration Fraud
