Originally published July 18, 2023 8:29 am PDT

In the wake of the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) releasing nearly 2,500 illegal migrant children, all carrying latent tuberculosis infections, across 44 states over the past year, a court-ordered report cited by The Washington Times has brought forward alarming concerns.

The children, out of the total of approximately 126,000 who were released, were all part of a distinct category known as unaccompanied alien children (UACs).

The release of these children, however, is not accompanied by any guarantee of treatment.

This stems from the limited time these children typically spend in government custody, not nearly sufficient to complete the treatment duration ranging from three to nine months.

In the hope of ensuring treatment before the dormant infection turns active, HHS hands over the infected children to sponsors and informs the local health authorities.

Unfortunately, this strategy has often proven ineffective.

The Virginia Department of Health, while conversing with The Times, commented, “We do not know how often the sponsors follow through on treatment,” adding that the child often relocates by the time outreach is initiated.

Concerns about the timeliness and frequency of such notifications have been raised by local health officials, who often discover that the child has already arrived by the time they are notified about a case in their jurisdiction.

The responsibility of UACs lies with Homeland Security, which is required to transfer most children swiftly to HHS.

These children are then placed in government-contracted shelters while efforts are made to identify suitable sponsors.

However, the system is fraught with issues, including overcrowded shelters, the struggle to find reliable sponsors, and the loss of track of children in many instances.

These issues add layers of complexity to the treatment of latent infections in the children.

Furthermore, tuberculosis is not the sole health challenge being faced.

The court report, penned by Aurora Miranda-Maese, the court-appointed monitor, mentioned the creation of protocols to deal with chlamydia and gonorrhea.

Miranda-Maese highlighted the reluctance of authorities to initiate treatment due to the limited custody duration of the minors.

She stated, “Minors are not routinely treated for [latent tuberculosis infection] while in [resettlement] care because the average length of stay is typically shorter than the time required to complete treatment, and because there could be negative effects from discontinuing” any “treatment before completion, such as developing drug-resistant TB.”

The government relies on a CDC-run reporting system to alert local health authorities.

However, Virginia’s experience suggests that the compliance rate for sponsors securing the necessary treatment is low.

Virginia’s health department emphasized its focus on connecting local health officials with sponsors who accommodate high-risk children below the age of 5 and those who may have HIV infections.

Despite this, the CDC, which operates the notification portal, has not responded to inquiries from The Times.

While the government offers UACs routine dental and reproductive care, including pregnancy tests and information about emergency contraceptives, the tuberculosis issue has drawn attention to the disparities in treatment between legal and illegal immigrants.

Those aiming to enter as permanent legal immigrants or refugees are required to undergo screening beforehand, and those with active cases can be denied entry.

Conversely, illegal immigrants arriving at the border are not required to test negative for latent tuberculosis infection before entry, but rather, within 90 days of arrival.

The Homeland Security Department did not reveal the compliance rate or consequences for non-compliance when approached by The Times.

However, they described the rate as “high” and expressed encouragement, while conceding the need to urge migrants to comply.