Xavier Becerra Confronts Migrant Child Abuse Claims in California Race

Former Health and Human Services secretary Xavier Becerra, now a candidate for California governor, is facing renewed scrutiny over the federal unaccompanied migrant minor system he oversaw. A 17‑year‑old migrant, Juana Rebecca Pérez Santay, testified that after being placed with a sponsor through the Office of Refugee Resettlement, she was abandoned at an airport and forced into a house where she worked around the clock, was denied water, threatened with deportation and suffered sexual abuse. She said, “Xavier Becerra failed to protect us. He failed me because he didn’t protect me.” Becerra had previously described the flow of minors through the system as an “assembly line.”

During a press event in Sacramento, Becerra walked away from reporters repeatedly asking about his record on migrant children, refusing to answer questions about regrets or accountability. His opponent, Republican Steve Hilton, has highlighted the controversy as a central line of attack in the campaign. The allegations have intensified debate over Becerra’s tenure at HHS and its impact on his gubernatorial bid.