Thousands of Immigrant Children Have Been Sexually Assaulted While in U.S. Government Custody

In new reports made public, thousands of immigrant children being held by the Department of Housing and Human Services have filed complaints alleging sexual abuse between 2014 and 2018.

According to HHS, there have been 4,556 such complaints, peaking in 2018.

In the vast majority of these complaints, the report is ignored or the involved staff member is assigned elsewhere or fired. In the small number of complaints investigated internally, none resulted in anything more than dismissal — no criminal charges have been made.

This is unacceptable. These children are in the care of the government and they are being abused and ignored.

These reports were only made available thanks to requests made by Florida Rep. Ted Deutch, who says there are government officials who must be made to explain this crisis and be held accountable.

Add your name here to stand with Rep. Deutch in demanding both the Department of Housing and Human Services and the Department of Justice take immediate action to hold perpetrators of sexual abuse against immigrant minors accountable as well as taking greater steps to prevent future abuses!