Senator Bill Hagerty on Friday released the following statement after Chattanooga Police announced the arrest of an individual for sexual wrongdoing against a juvenile victim at a facility for unaccompanied migrant children in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services custody and the subsequent closure of that facility:
“The new criminal charge stemming from alleged sexual misconduct against an unaccompanied migrant child in federal HHS custody in Chattanooga is disturbing and heartbreaking.
I commend and fully support law enforcement’s investigation to ensure that justice is done in this case and that any culpable actors are held accountable. For more than a month, my calls for greater transparency from the Secretary of Health and Human Services regarding the resettlement occurring at this facility and the well-being of the children there have gone unanswered. The answer received in the form of this tragic news demands an immediate, broader investigation to ensure the safety of the tens of thousands of children in HHS custody or being placed by HHS with sponsors in the United States. It is past time for the Biden Administration to take responsibility for the ongoing border crisis and its consequences, which I have been urging since January, and take real steps to protect both Americans and migrants by ending the crisis.”
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann said, “I am glad to hear that the Department of Child Services has taken decisive action to suspend the Baptiste Group’s license to operate a child migrant facility in Chattanooga. The safety and wellbeing of unaccompanied migrant children must always come first.
“There must be a transparent and thorough investigation into these horrific allegations. This sad situation should never have happened in the first place. The Biden Admiration’s lawless policies at the southern border have created a humanitarian and national security crisis and has led to the abuse and neglect of migrant children on U.S. soil.
“I will continue to demand accountability from the Administration to protect migrant children temporarily here in Tennessee.”