Property Rights Under Siege and 85,000 Missing Migrant Children

On Friday, May 5, 2023, Kim Monson tackled two pressing issues threatening American values: property rights under siege and the hidden crisis of unaccompanied migrant children. Taralyn Romero returned with news of her successful settlement with Jefferson County commissioners, while Jessica Vaughan from the Center for Immigration Studies revealed disturbing findings about child trafficking at the border.

The Hidden Crisis of Unaccompanied Migrant Children

Start listening at 34:47 – Hour 1

Jessica Vaughan, Director of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, exposed the alarming reality behind recent Congressional hearings about 85,000 unaccounted-for migrant children. Vaughan explained that approximately 600,000 unaccompanied minors have arrived since 2012, with half of that number arriving in just the last two years under Biden administration policies.

The administration’s decision to relax vetting procedures has created conditions ripe for exploitation. Child labor trafficking organizations now bring children into the country to work in factories, farms, and restaurants under conditions of labor bondage. Whistleblower Tara Lee Rodas testified before Congress about what she witnessed in Health and Human Services shelters, where sponsors can claim children with virtually no background checks or home studies.

Vaughan revealed that this crisis extends beyond labor trafficking to include sex trafficking, often facilitated by gang members who have become established in the United States. Some traffickers actually sponsor girls from the shelters, promising protection before exploiting them. The situation is compounded by faith-based organizations that have become government contractors, serving as middlemen in this pipeline while receiving substantial federal funding.

“We have no idea why people are coming. They’re coming from all ages, from more than 100 different countries in the world. This is not the traditional scenario of illegal migration, which is largely Mexico and Central America.”

Jessica Vaughan, Director of Policy Studies, Center for Immigration Studies

Property Rights Victory in Jefferson County

Start listening at 19:09 – Hour 1

Taralyn Romero brought welcome news to listeners who had followed her two-year battle with Jefferson County. When she purchased her home in Kittredge, a small mountain community between Morrison and Evergreen, she discovered that previous owners had allowed the community to use her backyard as an extension of the adjacent Kittredge Park. At the height of summer, she found herself dealing with up to 55 strangers in her yard, complete with umbrellas, tents, air mattresses, and coolers, staying for eight to ten hours at a time.

After attempting to share her property for a year and a half, Romero closed access to her land in June 2022. The Jefferson County commissioners responded by filing suit to either take her property or force her to share it. Thanks to public support and media attention, Romero was able to negotiate from a position of strength. She reached a settlement that allowed her to retain the majority of her land while relinquishing a small portion known as “the beach” in exchange for $250,000.

“When Jefferson County wanted to force me to share with my community, I think the scariest thing about that is they extrapolated it from beyond my tiny town to say, hey, Tara Lynn, you’ve got to share your little half of half an acre with half a million people because that’s who’s in Jefferson County.”

Taralyn Romero, Property Rights Advocate