Kane County Reporter

Illinois Eighth Congressional District candidate Mark Rice stated, "People complicit in the child trafficking darkness are just as evil as those orchestrating it." He made this remark in a June 9 Facebook post.

"One year ago, HHS whistleblower Ms Rodas testified in front of the US Congress regarding the horrific and ongoing problem of child trafficking," said Rice, according to Facebook. "This testimony was jarring… especially since the media and the Democrat party refuse to talk about this abomination. We share this testimony below because it's a year ago, and this Administration refuses to acknowledge the open border policies they created have worsened trafficking. People complicit in the child trafficking darkness are just as evil as the ones orchestrating it."

In the YouTube video attached to Rice’s Facebook post, Tara Lee Rodas, a whistleblower at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), testified before the House Judiciary Committee.

Screenshot of Mark Rice for Congress June9 Facebook post | Mark Rice for Congress Facebook page

According to Rodas, "As part of Operation Artemis, I was deployed to the Pomona Fairplex emergency intake site in California to help HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement reunite children with sponsors in the United States. I thought I was going to help place children in loving homes. Instead, I discovered that children are being trafficked through a sophisticated network that begins with recruiting in-home country smuggling to the US border and ends when ORR delivers a child to a sponsor. Some sponsors are criminals and traffickers and members of transnational criminal organizations."

This problem isn’t new. According to Texas Policy, which published a piece titled "How Porous Borders Fuel Human Trafficking in the United States" in January 2022, record numbers of trafficking victims were reported from 2016-2021.

"The Department of State estimates that in 2016, 57,700 victims had been trafficked into the U.S. annually. The true number is likely much larger and impossible to determine. In fiscal year 2021, there were nearly 2 million migrant apprehensions along the U.S.-Mexico border, and that number only accounts for the people encountered by border agents. More than 400,000 more migrants eluded apprehension and are counted among the ‘got-aways.’ Last year also met another unfortunate record—147,000 unaccompanied migrant children entered into the U.S., 122,000 were taken into U.S. custody, the previous record being 69,000," said Texas Policy.

Rice is currently the CEO of Energy CX and has resided in Illinois for 35 years. His leadership at Energy CX has garnered national acclaim, establishing the company as a frontrunner in delivering comprehensive energy solutions. Leading a team of 70 professionals, Rice’s experience in the energy sector positions him as a prominent executive with a keen understanding of the economic landscape. His website highlights that his congressional bid aligns with a commitment to address concerns of the 8th Congressional District and challenge what he perceives as a corrupt administration.

The 8th Congressional District covers northern Cook County, northern DuPage County and northeast Kane County. It is currently held by U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), who was elected to Congress in 2016 and is now serving his fourth term as Illinois’ 8th District U.S. Representative.