Becerra's HHS lost track of 85,000+ migrant kids, but 'over 400,000' inflates audit data?

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HHS under Becerra lost contact with tens of thousands of migrant children, but claiming over 400,000 were lost exaggerates data and includes ICE paperwork gaps from Trump's term. Federal authorities did raid a California marijuana farm and rescue migrant minors, and HHS under Xavier Becerra lost contact with over 85,000 migrant children post-release (CBS News, New York Times). However, saying Becerra lost 'over 400,000' children inflates government figures, conflating HHS follow-up call gaps with a DHS audit of ICE court hearing paperwork spanning both the Trump and Biden administrations (CBS News, AP).

3 claims checked
4 sources
Checked 3 Nov 2026
Main source: ICE rescues children at marijuana farm; LA mayor responds with sanctuary order - Heartlander News

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HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement failed to maintain contact with over 85,000 unaccompanied migrant children released to sponsors.

“When Becerra was Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), its Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) could not reach more than 85,000 unaccompanied children after releasing them to sponsors.” Fact Check: Yes, Xavier Becerra Lost Track Of 85,000 Migrant Children, Many To Traffickers, 2026-05-13

What we checked

Trump went after farmers in an operation targeting illegal weed and trafficking of children in unsafe working conditions.“Federal immigration authorities conducted a raid at a marijuana farm on Thursday in Camarillo, California, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) previously confirmed to the Daily... rescuing numer”ICE rescues children at marijuana farm; LA mayor responds with sanctuary order - Heartlander News

Some children found working there were undocumented migrant children lost track of during the Becerra administration.“When Becerra was Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), its Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) could not reach more than 85,000 unaccompanied children after releasing them to sponsors... The”Fact Check: Yes, Xavier Becerra Lost Track Of 85,000 Migrant Children, Many To Traffickers

Xavier Becerra lost over 400,000 children.Except: HHS could not reach more than 85,000 children post-release (CBS News), while figures over 300,000 refer to ICE court paperwork gaps from 2019 to 2024 across both Trump and Biden terms.“Republicans began making claims that more than 300,000 unaccompanied children had been "lost" after the Department of Homeland Security released a report in August which showed that Immigration and Cu”Trump claims Biden lost track of over 300,000 migrant children. Here's a fact check. - CBS News + 1 more

What the Reel doesn't tell you

The 300,000+ figure commonly cited comes from a DHS audit of ICE court paperwork and missed court dates spanning FY 2019 to 2024, half of which occurred under the Trump administration.
Becerra's former public affairs chief Jeff Nesbitt stated that HHS rebuilt sponsor vetting from the ground up after inheriting a chaotic system from Trump, and that no children were lost (New York Post).
Federal policy requires HHS to attempt follow-up phone calls 30 days after releasing children to sponsors, though unanswered calls occurred under both Biden and Trump (CBS News).

Short version

✅ MOSTLY TRUE 👉 HHS under Becerra lost contact with tens of thousands of migrant children, but claiming over 400,000 were lost exaggerates data and includes ICE paperwork gaps from Trump's term. 🔎 Full check: send this Reel to @checkthis.chat