Xavier Becerra was head of HHS from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. When unaccompanied children are apprehended after crossing the border they become the temporary charge of HHS. HHS finds sponsors for those kids, often family. Sponsors are vetted for suitability. Once the kids are released to the sponsors neither the sponsors or HHS is required to keep track of them.
The big headline in the four page Steyer flyer says, “Xavier Becerra lost track of 85,000 immigrant children as HHS Secretary.” It could as easily have said, “ Xavier Becarra as head of in four years HHS successfully placed 85,000 immigrant children with sponsors after they were apprehended crossing the border and incarcerated “. They weren’t lost. They just weren’t in the system any longer.
Unattributed pull quotes claim he was responsible for thousands of immigrant children being trafficked or abused. It’s nasty stuff, almost entirely unfounded and designed to dim Becerra’s shine with voters, particularly Latin Americans. Heck ,even the picture they use has been Willy Hortoned to give him a darker complexion and a thuggish look.
Suggesting your opponent is personally responsible for child abuse is pretty low and a long way from explaining why voters should choose you.
= new reply since forum marked as read