Tim Ballard, a former Homeland Security agent and undercover operative in the rescue of child sex trafficking victims, has accused the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) of facilitating child trafficking. He testified before Congress, linking the border crisis to child trafficking and warning that inadequate border security and policies are fueling the growth of human trafficking. Ballard called for urgent action to locate the 85,000 missing children and enforce existing border laws. He also proposed the SECURE Act of 2023 to protect endangered and exploited children.