Has the Trump Administration recovered more than 160,000 children who were trafficked or lost under the Biden Administration, as Secretary Mullin claimed?

Claims about vast numbers of children being lost misrepresent a 2024 Department of Homeland Security report regarding 291,000 unaccompanied migrant children who had not received notices to appear in court, and 32,000 who received one but failed to appear in court. The numbers reflect missing paperwork, not children.

The report, which covers October 2018 to September 2023 but does not distinguish between administrations, suggests that children who fail to appear for court are considered higher risk for trafficking or exploitation, but does not cite any evidence or data.

It additionally points to the absence of interdepartmental processes to explain the missing notices and appearances.   

Federal law requires unaccompanied migrant children not granted asylum to be placed in removal proceedings, which begin after notices are filed with the court. About half of those result in removal. In most cases, children lack legal representation; the removal rate for such instances is 84%.