Americans want answers.
California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra is facing renewed scrutiny after a former employee at a California migrant shelter came forward with serious allegations about the treatment of unaccompanied migrant children during his tenure as President Joe Biden’s secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The whistleblower alleges children were released to inadequately vetted sponsors, separated from siblings, and transferred under questionable circumstances while federal officials rushed to process record numbers of migrant minors entering the United States during the border crisis.
The claims are adding fresh political pressure on Becerra as he campaigns to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, with Republicans arguing the allegations highlight broader failures in the Biden administration’s handling of immigration and child welfare.
Whistleblower Describes Troubling Conditions
The former caseworker, who worked at the Pomona Fairplex emergency intake center in Southern California during 2021, says she repeatedly raised concerns about children’s safety but was ignored by supervisors.
According to the whistleblower, staff members were under intense pressure to reunite migrant children with sponsors as quickly as possible, even when important questions remained about the adults taking custody of them.
The former employee, a first-generation American whose family immigrated from El Salvador, says many workers feared vulnerable children were being placed into unsafe situations.
She claims sponsor verification procedures were often rushed and inconsistent, with some identification documents receiving little scrutiny and addresses not always being fully verified before children were released.
Sisters Allegedly Separated Inside the Facility
One of the most emotional stories shared by the whistleblower involved two young sisters who arrived together at the Pomona facility.
According to her account, a 5-year-old girl repeatedly asked employees where her 7-year-old sister had gone after the girls were separated inside the shelter.
The caseworker said she was told the children had been housed separately because of concerns involving older and younger minors.
She described the younger girl as frightened and confused, saying she had not seen her sister for several days.
The whistleblower says she never learned whether the sisters were eventually reunited after leaving the facility.
Allegations of Abuse Raise More Questions
The whistleblower further claimed some female employees working inside the shelter experienced repeated harassment from older teenage boys housed at the facility. According to her account, employees who reported inappropriate behavior were later dismissed from their jobs.
The former worker also alleged employees received limited training while caring for large groups of children housed in temporary sleeping areas with little privacy for interviews or evaluations.
She said children were sometimes awakened in the middle of the night, given small bags containing their belongings, and quietly transported out of the facility without many staff members knowing who was taking them or where they were headed.
“We had no idea who was transporting some of these children,” she said, adding that she later questioned whether the overnight transfers were intended to avoid attention.
HHS Oversaw Record Number of Migrant Children
During Becerra’s time leading the Department of Health and Human Services from 2021 through 2025, the agency was responsible for caring for hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied migrant children who crossed the southern border without a parent or legal guardian.
To manage the unprecedented surge, the federal government opened emergency intake centers across several states, including California, Texas, and Florida.
The Pomona Fairplex facility was one of three emergency sites established in California to temporarily house migrant children while officials worked to place them with sponsors.
When Becerra visited the Pomona facility in July 2021, he praised its operations and described the shelter as a model for similar facilities nationwide, saying it provided a healthy and safe environment for children.
The whistleblower now argues that reality inside the facility was far different from its public image.
Steve Hilton Seizes on the Allegations
Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton says the whistleblower’s account raises serious questions about Becerra’s leadership during one of the largest migrant surges in U.S. history.
Hilton argues stronger oversight and more thorough background checks could have helped protect vulnerable children from potential exploitation.
He has also criticized previous statements made by Becerra disputing reports that large numbers of migrant children could not later be located after being released to sponsors.
“Becerra’s actions are despicable and disqualifying,” Hilton said while discussing the allegations.
The whistleblower echoed concerns that better oversight could have prevented many of the problems she says occurred inside the shelter.
“We failed, and I think we should all take responsibility,” she said. “He should take responsibility.”
California Governor’s Race Intensifies
The controversy arrives as California’s race for governor continues to gain national attention.
Recent polling from the Public Policy Institute of California shows Becerra maintaining a sizable lead over Hilton, but immigration, border security, and government accountability are expected to remain major issues throughout the campaign.
Becerra had not publicly responded to the whistleblower’s allegations at the time of publication.
As the election approaches, voters are likely to hear more debate over the Biden administration’s immigration policies and Becerra’s record overseeing the federal agency responsible for caring for unaccompanied migrant children.