U.S. Rule Change Sparks Fears for Migrant Families Claiming Children

The U.S. government will now allow the Office for Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to share the immigration status of sponsors for unaccompanied migrant children with law enforcement agencies—a regulatory shift raising concerns among immigrant rights advocates.

Previously, ORR was prohibited from denying release of children based solely on a sponsor’s immigration status. However, under a new rule to be published in the Federal Register, this restriction will be removed. The change aligns with federal laws that, according to ORR, require agencies to share immigration and citizenship status upon request.

Critics argue the new policy could deter undocumented parents or relatives from stepping forward to claim their children out of fear of detention or deportation. An ICE official in 2018 estimated that roughly 80% of sponsors lacked legal immigration status.

The policy shift is part of a broader immigration crackdown by the Trump administration, which began tracking down hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied minors in the U.S. shortly after taking office. Many of these children arrived over the past decade due to violence and economic instability in Central America, drawn by U.S. policies that allowed them to stay.

The recent removal of ORR’s top official earlier this month reportedly came amid internal pressure to intensify efforts in this area. In a related development, advocacy groups said the administration has largely shut down a federal program that offered legal aid to unaccompanied children. Legal experts warn this undermines due process protections.

Shayna Kessler of the Vera Institute of Justice called the termination of legal services “a direct attack on due process.” The Administration for Children and Families, which oversees ORR, has not commented on the suspension of the program.

Immigrant rights groups continue to urge the government to reinstate protections for vulnerable migrant children.