Abuse of migrant children in U.S. unacceptable: Cincinnati Enquirer

NEW YORK, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The issue of migrant child labor in the United States was widely thought to be resolved in the 1930s, but it actually still exists in the past years, even on an explosive scale in recent months, while patterns of abuse of migrants, including children, are frequently heard or seen, which is utterly unacceptable, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Monday.

In recent years, unaccompanied children, mostly from Central America, have come to the United States in unprecedented numbers -- more than 250,000 over the past two years -- driven by economic desperation, instability and violence exacerbated by the pandemic, according to the report.

A 2008 anti-trafficking law requires that unaccompanied minors from most countries be screened for trafficking and allowed to stay in the United States pending their application for status. "Many are released to poorly vetted sponsors who exploit them," it noted.

"Because U.S. immigration policies make it easier to enter the country with a child, there are also many children who are brought here by someone who may or may not be their relative, and once here are subsequently abused, neglected or abandoned," it said.

The White House claimed that it had received reports about migrant child labor, but that they were "not flagged as urgent" and "did not make clear the scope of the problem," said the report. "Again, if these were citizen children, the issues would have been addressed immediately."