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Management Alert - ICE Cannot Monitor All Unaccompanied Migrant Children Released from DHS and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Custody

Submitting OIG: 
Department of Homeland Security OIG
Report Description: 
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could not monitor the location and status of all unaccompanied migrant children (UCs) or initiate removal proceedings as needed. During our ongoing audit to assess ICE’s ability to monitor the location and status of UCs who were released or transferred from the custody of the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), we learned ICE transferred more than 448,000 UCs to HHS from fiscal years 2019 to 2023. However, ICE was not able to account for the location of all UCs who were released by HHS and did not appear as scheduled in immigration court. ICE reported more than 32,000 UCs failed to appear for their immigration court hearings from FYs 2019 to 2023.
Date Issued: 
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Agency Reviewed / Investigated: 
Department of Homeland Security
Submitting OIG-Specific Report Number: 
OIG-24-46
Component, if applicable: 
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Location(s): 
Agency-Wide
Type of Report: 
Audit
Questioned Costs: 
$0
Funds for Better Use: 
$0
Number of Recommendations: 
2
Report updated under NDAA 5274: 
No
Additional Details Link: 
https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2024-08/OIG-24-46-Aug24.pdf

Related Open Recommendations

Recommendation Number Recommendation Status Significant Recommendation Additional Details
1 Open No
We recommend the Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director for ICE evaluate the use of manual processes for information sharing within ICE and with other stakeholders, such as the Department of Justice; identify funding; then develop and implement an automated system to document court appearances and maintain address information of unaccompanied migrant children.
2 Open No
We recommend the Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director for ICE develop and implement a formal process to identify unaccompanied migrant children who fail to appear for immigration hearings, and share this information internally within ICE and externally with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Displaying 2 of 2 Recommendations