A former caseworker has come forward with allegations of widespread abuse and exploitation of unaccompanied migrant children during Xavier Becerra's tenure as Secretary of Health and Human Services. The whistleblower detailed claims of systemic failures at the Pomona Fairplex in California, including the separation of young siblings, releases to unverified addresses, and children disappearing after being moved late at night.
During Becerra's term as health secretary from 2021 to 2025, the U.S. experienced a significant surge in unaccompanied minors crossing the border, with nearly 480,000 children arriving. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was the federal agency responsible for their care and protection. Emergency intake sites were established across the country, including three in California: San Diego, Long Beach, and Pomona.
The whistleblower, who brought the allegations to Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, described a chaotic environment at the Fairplex. She alleged that her concerns about the welfare of vulnerable children were ignored due to pressure to reunite them with sponsors, despite a lack of proper verification of the sponsors' identities or their relationship to the children.
One account detailed a 5-year-old girl, referred to as "Grace," who arrived with her 7-year-old sister. Grace was reportedly distraught over her sister's disappearance, with caseworkers allegedly stating the separation occurred because older children were abusing younger ones. The whistleblower claimed she never learned if the sisters reached their destinations safely, as welfare checks were not performed.
Another allegation involved a 14-year-old girl who allegedly became pregnant after being raped, reportedly by a woman presented as her aunt and sponsor. The whistleblower also claimed the vetting process for sponsors was inadequate, with selfies accepted as identification and sponsors communicating via platforms like WhatsApp.
Steve Hilton, who is challenging Becerra for the California governorship, criticized Becerra's leadership, stating that "Becerra's actions are despicable and disqualifying." Hilton asserted that Becerra's directives led to the elimination of proper vetting, contributing to the disappearance of an estimated 280,000 children during Becerra's tenure, a figure he contrasted with Becerra's earlier claim that reports of 85,000 missing children were inaccurate.
Further allegations from the whistleblower included instances of sexual harassment and abuse within the Fairplex, with teenage boys allegedly harassing young female employees. The whistleblower also claimed that employees who reported these incidents were terminated. She described inadequate training for staff and children sleeping in close quarters with little privacy.
According to the caseworker, children were often woken in the early morning hours and taken away from the facility, with no clear indication of who was transporting them. She expressed suspicion that these departures were timed to avoid observation. The whistleblower stated that Becerra's leadership failed these children, and that basic welfare checks could have prevented harm.
Becerra, who toured the Fairplex in July 2021, described it at the time as a "model" facility where children could be "healthy and safe." The California Post reported that attempts to reach Xavier Becerra for comment were unsuccessful.