President Trump marked National Missing Children’s Day with a message linking child disappearances to border security and pledging aggressive action against traffickers.
The May 25 statement from the White House framed missing children as a crisis worsened by what Trump called “the open border policies of the previous administration.” The presidential message signals a hardline approach connecting immigration enforcement to child safety.
Trump vowed to “strike down every predator, trafficker, kidnapper, and abuser who targets our young people with the full force of the law.” He cited his emergency declaration at the southern border and the designation of cartels as terrorist organizations.
The statement emphasized deportations and border enforcement as child protection measures. Trump claimed his administration is “doing everything in its power to recover our missing children, and reunite them with their loved ones.”
Missing children affects thousands of families annually across America. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children handles roughly 29,000 cases yearly, though most involve runaways or family abductions rather than trafficking.
Trump’s message offered support to searching families while promising restored “justice on our border, order in our communities, and peace in our families.” He pledged continued efforts toward “a future where every child is safe, valued, and empowered to lead a great American life of purpose, opportunity and fulfillment.”
The annual observance on May 25 honors missing children and supports affected families. Congress established the day in 1983 following several high-profile disappearances.