Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) pressed the federal government on its handling of unaccompanied migrant children during a Senate hearing.
She drew on her time as Florida’s attorney general while speaking. She described what she said were systemic failures under the Biden administration to protect vulnerable minors.
According to Moody, a grand jury in Florida uncovered disturbing evidence that children were sent to unsafe placements, including strip clubs and abandoned lots near shipping containers. She claimed some sponsors were given dozens of children, and oversight was lacking or nonexistent.
“These are not just policy failures,” she said. “These are real children. Lost. Exploited. And the federal government refused to cooperate with our investigation.”
Moody said requests for information and testimony from federal officials were denied. She claimed the administration showed no interest in working with Florida’s child welfare system.
She pressed the nominees at the hearing to explain what they would do—if confirmed—to prevent such breakdowns in the future.
A nominee said tougher labor law enforcement is needed to fight trafficking tied to illegal work practices. Another pointed to rising cases of children presenting forged documents to obtain work.
“If we find employers knowingly exploiting children, we must act,” one nominee said. “And yes, we need to work with state agencies to ensure those children are safe.”
Another nominee said local prosecutors and law enforcement must be central to stopping trafficking networks.
“No one knows the communities better than the local cops and investigators,” he said. “Federal inspectors general have to do a better job embedding into those communities.”
Moody stressed that real progress depends on cooperation.
“States can’t do this alone,” she said. “We need the federal government to be transparent, responsive, and proactive. Ignoring these cases because they’re politically inconvenient is unacceptable.”
The hearing closed with several nominees pledging to make child trafficking a top enforcement priority if confirmed.
A press release summarizing the grand jury’s findings in Florida is expected to be made public in the coming weeks.
