Key facts
- DHS reports thousands of illegal aliens exploited the Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) program.
- Over 120 SIJ applicants had arrest records for murder.
- More than 500 approved SIJ petitioners were known or suspected MS-13 gang members.
- The SIJ program is intended to protect at-risk minors from abuse, neglect, or abandonment.
- USCIS' Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate uncovered abuse from FY2013-2025.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has revealed that thousands of illegal aliens, many with criminal backgrounds including murder and gang affiliations, have exploited the Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) program to gain entry into the United States. A report from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) indicates extensive fraud within the program, which is designed to offer a safe haven to children of illegal immigrants facing abuse, neglect, or abandonment. The USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate uncovered over a decade of abuse, from fiscal years 2013 through 2025. Among those who took advantage of the program, at least 120 had arrest records for murder, over 200 approved SIJ petitioners were convicted of sex offenses, and more than 500 were known or suspected members of the MS-13 gang. High-profile cases include an MS-13 leader who pleaded guilty to racketeering charges connected to eight murders and another individual approved for SIJ status in 2023 after allegedly participating in a drive-by shooting that killed two people. Jessica Vaughan of the Center for Immigration Studies noted that the program relies heavily on state judges and has few guardrails to ensure applicants genuinely face dire circumstances. DHS deputy counsel James Percival stated that the SIJ program is at significant risk of fraud, often due to state courts approving petitions without full knowledge of the applicants' backgrounds.