Chairwoman Maloney Issues Statement on HHS IG Report Detailing Trump Administration’s Child Separation Policy

Washington, D.C. (November 16, 2021)— Today, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, issued the following statement in response to a new reportfrom the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General examining the Trump Administration's child separation policy:

"I am deeply troubled by today's report, which sheds more light on the trauma inflicted on young children by former President Trump's horrendous policy of separating children from their parents at the southern border. The independent Inspector General found that the average age of separated children who were referred to the Office of Refugee Resettlement was just nine years old, and many were four years old or younger. The report also shows that only a small portion of the more than 1,000 separated children referred to ORR have been reunited with the parent from whom they were separated. This tragedy is a direct result of the callous policies of the Trump Administration. It is imperative that we continue to work to reunify these families, seek accountability for those who perpetrated these abuses, and prevent such inhumane policies from ever happening again."

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