Human trafficking remains one of the chief problems at the southern border. Should the Biden Administration halt familial DNA testing for migrant children, the problem would only worsen. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) recently wrote a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas demanding familial testing remain in place.
Sen. Rubio highlighted statistics from the Homeland Security Inspector General showing 8.5 percent of all familial DNA tests taken at the border proved negative from June 2019 to September 2021. In raw numbers, out of 3,516 rapid DNA tests to verify family relationships between migrants and accompanying children, 300 were fraudulent. Coupled with additional statistics showing 6,200 cases of familial relationships proven fraudulent in the fiscal year of 2019 alone, Rubio sharply criticized the potential decision to halt testing.
"After years of consistent inadequacy in addressing the crisis at the U.S. southern border and unwillingness to protect migrant children from exploitation, the decision to end "all familial DNA testing" will inevitably result in further exploitation of these desperate children. Specifically, it will enable human smuggling and trafficking and will deepen the pockets of criminal enterprises seeking to traumatize and take advantage of vulnerable families and children. This result is unacceptable and your agency has a responsibility to mitigate and prevent such outcomes." Rubio wrote.
In April, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody similarly accused the Biden Administration and Secretary Mayorkas of enabling child trafficking at the border. A report issued by a grand jury found that a quarter-million children were rapidly processed and sent to live with people they often did not actually know, dropped off at addresses including vacant lots or even strip clubs.
"They've been sent to live with people they don't even know. They've been sold for sex. They've been abused. In some cases, these people have listed strip clubs as the places where they're intending to go. This is indeed trafficking; there's no other word for it," stated Moody.
