Ricketts Highlights Work to Combat Human Trafficking Enabled by Biden’s Open Border Policies
January 11, 2023
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In honor of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) highlighted his continued work to combat human trafficking. He also slammed the Biden administration’s policies that enable the trafficking of minors at the southern border. Ricketts made the comments yesterday while on a conference call with Nebraska media.
“When I was Governor, our state had a four-part plan to combat human trafficking across the state,”Ricketts said. “As I continue that fight in the U.S. Senate, I’ve been disgusted to see how President Biden’s failed border policies are enabling international human trafficking at our southern border. Biden’s open border policies allow cartels to exploit vulnerable children and adults from around the world.”
Ricketts criticized the Biden administration for taking tools away from Border Patrol agents to help reduce human trafficking at the border.
“In May of last year, the Biden administration ended all DNA familial testing at the border,” Ricketts continued. “This testing was originally implemented by the Trump administration to determine the relationship between illegal immigrants and any accompanying children. It played a vital role in combatting and deterring human trafficking… Biden’s elimination of DNA testing took away a critical tool to protect innocent children being exploited and being recycled at the border.”
Ricketts also highlighted his support for two bills specifically focused on combatting the human trafficking of minors at the border. The End Child Trafficking Now Act and the Stopping Border Surges Act were part of Ricketts’ package of Senate solutions to secure the border, first announced last year.
“We need to restore the policy of DNA testing,” Ricketts added. “That’s why I am supporting the End Child Trafficking Now Act to require the Biden administration to restart DNA tests at the border. I’m also working on the Stopping Border Surges Act to eliminate incentives for sending children to the border and to close immigration loopholes.”
Watch the video HERE.
TRANSCRIPT:
Senator Ricketts: “National Human Trafficking Awareness Day is January 11.
“The fight against human trafficking isn’t new to me or Nebraska.
“When I was Governor, our state had a four-part plan to combat human trafficking across the state.
“As I continue that fight in the U.S. Senate, I’ve been disgusted to see how President Biden’s failed border policies are enabling international human trafficking at our southern border.
“Biden’s open border policies allow cartels to exploit vulnerable children and adults from around the world.
“We know human traffickers are forcing children to pose as family members of single adults to improvethat adults’ chances of getting asylum.
“I saw it firsthand during my trip to the border last October. One man was claiming to be the father of a 10-year-old girl. She was terrified and clearly not his daughter. As a dad you can tell, this was not his daughter. Border Patrol agents told us Biden’s policies left them with no way to verify their suspicions or take action to protect this little girl.
“In May of last year, the Biden administration ended all DNA familial testing at the border. This testing was originally implemented by the Trump administration to determine the relationship between illegal immigrants and any accompanying children. It played a vital role in combatting and deterring human trafficking.
“In fiscal year 2019 alone, Border Patrol agents found more than 6,200 fraudulent family member claims. That’s more than double the number of students in Nebraska’s largest public school.
“When I was on the border, Border Patrol agents told me that sometimes between 30 and 50% of DNA tests came back as not a match.
“Biden’s elimination of DNA testing took away a critical tool to protect innocent children being exploited and being recycled at the border. Of course, when they are recycled, they cross the border with an adult, then sent back to Mexico to bring over the next adult.
“We need to restore the policy of DNA testing.
“That’s why I am supporting the End Child Trafficking Now Act to require the Biden administration to restart DNA tests at the border.
“I’m also working on the Stopping Border Surges Act to eliminate incentives for sending children to the border and to close immigration loopholes.
“As we raise awareness this week to end the disgusting practice of human trafficking, I hope President Biden will finally do the right thing. We need a President who will secure the border and stop enabling the criminals from exploiting innocent children.
“President Biden is utterly responsible for the human trafficking that is going on at our border today with his open border policies.”