Summary
Creates new rules to protect immigrant children who arrive alone by checking their backgrounds and the people they are placed with to stop child trafficking.
What problem does this solve?
The current process for placing unaccompanied immigrant children may not be strong enough to stop them from falling into the hands of traffickers or other dangerous people. This bill adds strict new screening rules for both the children and their potential sponsors to make sure they are placed in safe homes.
Who does this affect?
- Unaccompanied immigrant children
- Potential sponsors and their families
- Federal agencies like HHS and DHS
What does this bill do?
Reference
Text:
Section:
Sec. 3(1)
Header:
Prohibitions on placement of unaccompanied alien children with certain individuals
Adds strict rules for sponsors
Forbids placing children with anyone who is not a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident. Also blocks placement with anyone who has been convicted of a wide range of crimes, including any felony.
Reference
Text:
Section:
Sec. 3(1)
Header:
Screening for gang related activity; requirement to obtain criminal records
Requires screening children for gang ties
Requires officials to check children 12 or older for gang-related tattoos and to ask their home country for any criminal records.
Reference
Text:
Section:
Sec. 3(1)
Header:
Placement of certain unaccompanied alien children in secure facilities
Mandates placement in secure facilities for some children
Requires children 12 or older to be held in a secure facility if they are considered a flight risk, a danger to the community, have a gang tattoo, or have a criminal record.
Reference
Text:
Section:
Sec. 3(2)
Header:
Information about individuals with whom children are placed
Requires sharing sponsor information with Homeland Security
Before a child can be placed, the government must give Homeland Security personal information on the sponsor and all adults in the home, including their immigration status and background check results.
Bans releasing children on their own
States that an unaccompanied immigrant child may not be released on their own recognizance.
Reference
Text:
Section:
Sec. 5
Header:
Exemption from paperwork reduction act and the administrative procedure act
Allows government to skip certain rules
Lets government agencies bypass normal paperwork and procedure rules to put this law into effect immediately.
What is the real world impact?
•
Protects vulnerable children from trafficking
Creates strict safety measures to prevent children from being placed with criminals or traffickers. Requires thorough background checks on all adults in a sponsor's home to ensure the child is placed in a safe environment.
•
Restricts placement options for children
Makes it harder for children to be placed with family by requiring sponsors to be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. This could separate children from relatives who are able to care for them but do not have the required immigration status, keeping them in government facilities longer.
•
Increases detention of children based on appearance
Requires children 12 or older to be held in a secure facility if they have a gang-related tattoo. This could lead to children being unfairly detained based on their appearance, even if they are not a danger and are fleeing gang violence themselves.
When does this start?
This bill will take effect as soon as it is signed into law and will apply to all placement decisions made from that day forward.