Sen. Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) called on Department of Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to resign for overseeing a sharp rise in child labor by illegal immigrant minors.
"You’re not going to take any responsibility for the indentured servitude and exploitation of children that is happening on your watch? A moment ago, you were crowing about the fact that you treated children so well," Hawley said to Mayorkas during a Senate hearing on Tuesday. "And yet we find tens of thousands of children who are forced to work as slaves because of your policies."
Hawley’s line of questioning was prompted by an explosive New York Times report on Tuesday finding that the Biden administration cannot account for more than 85,000 alien children who entered the country since 2021. The report detailed how thousands of those children, some of whom are as young as 12 years old, are working full-time jobs.
"I for one am sick and tired of it. And thousands of children are in physical danger. Danger, because of what you are doing," Hawley said. "You should have resigned long ago and if you cannot change course, you should be removed from office."