GOP Sen. Grassley urges DHS, FBI action on reports of human trafficking

Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley on Wednesday urged the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to act on evidence of human trafficking his office received from whistleblowers while highlighting reports of 85,000 missing migrant children.

In writing to FBI Director Christopher Wray and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Grassley lamented that a DHS witness in a prior hearing had been unable to answer his question regarding the number of missing children Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) had recovered and noted that the DHS had failed to provide him with this information.

"DHS has failed to articulate a plan for recovering these vulnerable children. Equally troubling are reports my office has received from credible whistleblowers identifying specific children placed in the hands of probable traffickers by HHS despite clear red flags, as well as allegations of deliberate indifference to their suffering both by HHS and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) responsible for identifying and vetting sponsors and transporting children to their custody," he wrote.

"My office is working diligently with whistleblowers to identify as many missing children as possible, in hopes they can be found and saved," Grassley continued. "I expect the cooperation of DHS, as well as the full cooperation of HSI, FBI, HHS, and any NGOs involved, in this critical mission. It is our moral duty to do all we can to rescue children who may have endured sexual abuse or forced labor."

"Based upon alarming information I have received from multiple brave and very credible whistleblowers, it’s painfully apparent that HHS hasn’t heeded this warning and has failed to take corrective action to prevent children from falling into the wrong hands," the Iowa Republican added.

While he did not provide details of specific persons or smuggling operations in the public letter, he included general descriptions of the reports, providing details in a private attachment.

"I ask that for each child, household, or sponsor identified in the documents, you determine whether an investigation has already been conducted and whether that investigation was adequate; if not, I request you instruct your agencies to follow up immediately and investigate the evidence presented," Grassley went on, before indicating that he planned to provide the agencies with materials related to potential trafficking cases and urging them to act.

"The old proverb states that, 'a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.' Likewise, the journey of recovering 85,000 or more missing children begins with a single child," he concluded.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.