Headlines for April 4, 2025

Members of Elon Musk’s DOGE operation have gained access to a sensitive data system that contains the personal information of unaccompanied immigrant children, including their mental health records and reports of abuse. The data portal is run by the Department of Health and Human Services, which takes custody of unaccompanied children. Many agencies contracted by HHS to provide housing and other care have been accused of neglect and abuse, including sexual assault. The data breach comes after DOGE made massive cuts to a watchdog agency within HHS that oversees the facilities where immigrant children are held.

DOGE staffers were also granted access to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services data systems. Illinois Congressmember Delia Ramirez, who is the daughter of Guatemalan immigrants, said in a statement, “They have ordered the abduction of immigrant activists, the erratic cancellation of visas, the use of infamous off-shore mega prisons, and the violation of due process. It is deplorable that the sensitive information of Temporary Protected Status, DACA applicants and recipients, visa holders, and naturalized individuals would be used to violate their rights.”