Fact Check: Did Federal agents find thousands of missing children in Minnesota?
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: As the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown in Minnesota is coming to an end, Border Czar Tom Homan has claimed that the federal agents have found thousands of missing children from Minnesota following the immigration operation in the region. Let us analyse and fact-check the claim.
Claim: Federal agents found thousands of missing children in Minnesota
While announcing plans to end Operation Metro Surge on Thursday, February 12, Homan said, "ICE here, in this state, has located 3,364 missing, unaccompanied alien children. Children, the last administration lost and weren't even looking for.”
Homan made the claim without offering further explanation.
Vice President JD Vance said in late 2024 that Homeland Security effectively lost 320,000 unaccompanied migrant children.
Fact Check: The claim distorts or misrepresents facts
According to a fact check by Associated Press and USA Today, the claim distorts or misrepresents facts.
According to a federal report, more than 320,000 children either failed to appear for their immigration hearings or didn't receive a notice to appear in court.
It does not indicate that the children were lost; it only says they are currently unaccounted for.
The report noted that, as of May 2024, more than 291,000 unaccompanied migrant children had not received a notice to appear in court.
Additionally, more than 32,000 unaccompanied migrant children got a notice to appear but then failed to show up for immigration court hearings.
Experts say children may miss hearings or not receive notices for several reasons.
A notice to appear is only sent once removal proceedings begin, so if ICE has not started the process, no notice will be sent.
Poor coordination between agencies could also lead to notices being mailed to old addresses.
In some cases, guardians may not be able to take children to court because of distance or other limitations. The report does not provide specific explanations.
They noted that it is not a missing kids problem, but rather a missing paperwork problem.
Trump administration ends Minnesota immigration crackdown
Homan announced the winding down of a major immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota.
The development came following the massive backlash against the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdowns, which have led to two deaths in Minneapolis and thousands of arrests across the country.
Homan called the operation a success and credited Trump’s leadership for what he described as historic progress on border security and interior enforcement.
