Ranking Member Cassidy Demands Answers from Biden Administration, Government Contractor on Sponsor Vetting Failures, Endangering Migrant Children

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, demanded answers from the Biden administration and its contractor, The Providencia Group (TPG), following reports that unaccompanied children are being released into unsafe environments, including potential instances of human trafficking and forced labor.  

As Biden’s border crisis continues, nearly 400,000 unaccompanied children have entered the United States illegally since 2021. The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), a sub-agency of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is tasked with caring for these children and ensuring they are released to safe and thoroughly vetted sponsors. However, under the Biden administration, ORR has dramatically weakened its oversight of the sponsor vetting process. As a result, there have been several troubling reports of ORR releasing unaccompanied children into deeply unsafe environments. 

Cassidy requested information from TPG, a private company HHS contracted with to assist with sponsor vetting and case management for unaccompanied children in ORR custody. Concerningly, TPG has no prior experience with sponsor vetting and shares common ownership with a defense contractor previously alleged to have mistreated unaccompanied children. After an initial conversation with TPG’s outside counsel, the Committee learned that ORR instructed TPG to refer all inquiries to HHS’ Office of Legislative Affairs. This is part of a disturbing pattern with HHS and ORR impeding Cassidy’s investigation into child exploitation.  

In launching his formal inquiry into TPG, Cassidy also condemned the Biden administration’s obstructionism, demanding that HHS stop stonewalling his investigation into the safety of vulnerable children.  

“This blatant lack of transparency is reprehensible and appears to be part of a coordinated effort to shield the Biden administration from answering for its mistreatment and mishandling of unaccompanied children,” said Dr. Cassidy. “It is difficult to see this as anything other than an attempt to side-step legitimate congressional oversight that would potentially embarrass the Biden administration during an election year.”  

Read the full letter to HHS here and TPG here.   

###

For all news and updates from HELP Republicans, visit our website or Twitter at @GOPHELP. Click here to unsubscribe.