Back in 2014, a surge of unaccompanied illegal alien minors crossed the U.S. southern border and turned themselves into the Border Patrol. These illegal aliens were said to have been fleeing violence in Central America. After being taken to detention centers, these children were released into the custody of adults within the U.S. Fast forward four short years later and we find out that the government has lost track of 1,475 of these illegal alien children.

Here is one of the problems that is often not mentioned by those who oppose strict enforcement of our immigration laws. Controlling the flow of immigrants into the nation allows for the government to better ensure that those who enter aren’t engaged in criminal activity and also helps prevent new immigrants from being taken advantage of by nefarious individuals.

What’s especially concerning about the government losing track of these 1,475 children is the status of their well being. It is known that illegal alien children are especially susceptible to becoming victims of human trafficking, often because they are reticent to go to the police due to their immigration status. In light of this problem, Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) has called on the Department of Homeland Security to come up with a way of improving monitoring the status of illegal alien children. Portman states, “These kids, regardless of their immigration status, deserve to be treated properly, not abused or trafficked. This is all about accountability.” That’s something in short supply in government at most any level.