KIMBERLY WEXLER: But instead of going after the smugglers and returning the children to their home countries, in 2002 Senators Kennedy and Feinstein decided to give the children lawyers to fight for them to stay in the U.S.

The child smuggling system built by Congress completes the journey for unaccompanied alien children to join their families already in the U.S. illegally. Even though illegal aliens generally CANNOT be effectively vetted. So, while Trump’s ICE is deporting families, unaccompanied children continue to arrive. Each unaccompanied foreign child found in the U.S. should trigger a criminal human smuggling investigation. But instead of going after the smugglers and returning the children to their home countries, in 2002 Senators Kennedy and Feinstein decided to give the children lawyers to fight for them to stay in the U.S. Where we are not protecting them from exploitation. Congress knowingly created a perverse incentive to enable dangerous child smuggling and trafficking — they built the machine, and they show no sign of shutting it down. 😢 @SenRandPaul @ChuckGrassley @DickDurbin @RepZoeLofgren @AshleyMoodyFL @andybiggs4az @CaptClayHiggins @Jim_Jordan @mtgreenee @RepThomasMassie @lora_ries @ScottMechkowski @JohnE_Fabb @ChadFWolf @leahfiles @ShannonJoyRadio @JoaquinCastrotx @RonWyden @RepLaMonica @RepMariaSalazar @JJCarrell14 @RepLuna @NancyMace @RepBoebert @AnthonyAguero @hernandoarce @taraleerodas @ali_hopper @SteveHiltonx @MaryFlynnONeil1 @RobertKennedyJr

— Kimberly Wexler MA JD (@KimWexlerMAJD) October 18, 2026

from Kimberly Wexler,

The child smuggling system built by Congress completes the journey for unaccompanied alien children to join their families already in the U.S. illegally. Even though illegal aliens generally CANNOT be effectively vetted. So, while Trump’s ICE is deporting families, unaccompanied children continue to arrive. Each unaccompanied foreign child found in the U.S. should trigger a criminal human smuggling investigation. But instead of going after the smugglers and returning the children to their home countries, in 2002 Senators Kennedy and Feinstein decided to give the children lawyers to fight for them to stay in the U.S. Where we are not protecting them from exploitation.

Congress knowingly created a perverse incentive to enable dangerous child smuggling and trafficking — they built the machine, and they show no sign of shutting it down.