USCIS announced on June 3, 2026 that from Fiscal Year 2013 through 2025 nearly 19,000 Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) petitioners had criminal arrest records. The SIJ program offers a path to lawful permanent residency for minors under 21 who have been abused, neglected or abandoned. According to the Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate report, the cases included 120 murders, more than 200 sex‑offense convictions, and over 500 individuals linked to MS‑13 or the 18th Street gang. Examples cited involved a New York MS‑13 leader later convicted of racketeering and eight murders, a Trinitarios gang member who shot two people, and four Virginia MS‑13 members indicted for racketeering conspiracies. DHS General Counsel James Percival urged state court judges to strengthen vetting to prevent fraud and protect public safety.
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