Former ICE Director Jonathan Fahey has criticized the Biden administration’s policies on immigration, calling them “unconscionable” during an interview with Fox News Digital. He highlighted the Trump administration’s efforts to locate 300,000 migrant children who may have been placed with unvetted sponsors, raising concerns about potential exploitation. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that 13,000 of these children have already been found, with over 59,000 of the 65,000 backlogged reports processed, including thousands of leads related to criminal activities.
Fahey, who previously led the ICE, emphasized the importance of vetting sponsors to ensure migrant children are placed with the correct individuals. He also discussed how the recent Trump-backed government spending bill, which includes funding for additional immigration authorities and tools, could enhance efforts to combat exploitation. This bill also provides for the hiring of 10,000 more ICE agents, with the Trump administration launching an aggressive recruitment campaign offering significant bonuses to attract new agents. Fahey believes these measures will significantly improve the agency’s capacity to address the issue of missing children and investigate criminal activity.
The administration has also noted that the border is relatively closed, with few new individuals crossing and those caught not being released. This, according to Fahey, will allow the agency to focus more on internal efforts to locate missing children. The DHS has reported numerous busts, including those resulting from prior information, criminal search warrants, and welfare checks at homes. The Trump administration’s policies aim to enhance the capacity of law enforcement to protect vulnerable populations while also addressing the broader issue of immigration enforcement and public safety.