Trump administration rolls back restrictions on sharing migrant minor sponsors’ immigration status

Migrant children make their way inside a building at Casa Presidente, an immigrant shelter for unaccompanied minors, in Brownsville, Texas, U.S., June 23, 2018. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo 

Trump Administration Moves to Share Migrant Sponsors’ Immigration Status with Law Enforcement

The U.S. Office for Refugee Resettlement (ORR) will now be permitted to share immigration status information of sponsors of unaccompanied migrant children with law enforcement agencies, according to a new regulatory change set to be published on Tuesday. Critics warn that this move could discourage families from claiming their children due to fears of deportation or detention.

Key Changes in ORR Policy

• ORR will eliminate a rule that prohibited the agency from denying child sponsorship solely based on immigration status.
• The new rule aligns ORR policies with federal law, which does not allow agencies to withhold information on an individual’s citizenship or immigration status.
• Law enforcement agencies, including ICE, will now have access to sponsors’ immigration details.

Concerns Over Family Reunification

• Many migrant children arrive in the U.S. without parents or legal guardians due to violence and economic instability in Central America.
• Sponsors, who are usually parents or relatives, have previously stepped forward to take custody of these children while their immigration cases proceed.
• An estimated 80% of these sponsors lack legal status, making them vulnerable to ICE enforcement, potentially deterring them from claiming their children.

Broader Immigration Crackdown

The move is part of the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement efforts, which have included:

• Tracking down and detaining unaccompanied migrant children already in the U.S.
• Abruptly removing the top official at ORR earlier this month to escalate enforcement measures.
• Suspending a federal program that provided legal representation to unaccompanied minors in immigration court.

Advocacy Groups Condemn the Policy Shift

Immigrant rights groups argue that the policy change will harm children’s welfare by making it harder for them to reunite with family members.

• Shayna Kessler of the Vera Institute of Justice called the legal aid program shutdown a “direct attack on due process.”
• Advocates urge the administration to restore legal representation for minors to ensure they can fairly navigate the immigration system.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), ORR’s parent agency, has not yet responded to inquiries about the suspension of the legal aid program.