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Unaccompanied Children (UC)

Last Updated: | Press Releases

Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas Directs FEMA to Support Response for Unaccompanied Children

Homeland Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas has directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support a government-wide effort over the next 90 days to safely receive, shelter, and transfer unaccompanied children who make the dangerous journey to the U.S. southwest border.

Last Updated: | Press Releases

Declaración conjunta del HHS y el DHS sobre la terminación del acuerdo de 2018

El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Estados Unidos (HHS) y el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de Estados Unidos (DHS) anunciaron la terminación de un acuerdo de 2018 que socavaba los intereses de los menores y que tenía un efecto aterrador en los posibles patrocinadores (generalmente un padre o una persona cercana) interesados en patrocinar a un menor sin acompañante bajo el cuidado de HHS.

Last Updated: | Press Releases

HHS and DHS Joint Statement on Termination of 2018 Agreement

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the termination of a 2018 agreement that undermined the interests of children and had a chilling effect on potential sponsors (usually a parent or close relative) from stepping up to sponsor an unaccompanied child placed in the care of HHS.

Last Updated: | Publication

Retention Memo to CBP for CRCL Investigation Concerning Age Determination and Birth Certificate Verification Procedures

From 2015-2020, CRCL received more than 100 allegations that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) violated the civil rights and civil liberties of unaccompanied minors when determining their ages or verifying the authenticity of their birth certificates. These allegations arose from reported incidents at both U.S. Border Patrol stations and ports of entry. These included similar allegations, such as CBP discarding and destroying birth certificates, pressuring and coercing unaccompanied minors into incorrectly claiming they are adults, and falsifying records of their ages. From these numerous allegations, CRCL chose a sample of 18 that represented the various types of allegations received by CRCL and opened them as complaint investigations.

Last Updated: | Publication

Retention Memo to CBP for CRCL Investigation Regarding Unaccompanied Minors Time in Custody

Between May 1 and July 31, 2019, CRCL received 677 allegations that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) violated the civil rights and civil liberties of unaccompanied minors in CBP custody. This number of allegations corresponded with the increase in unaccompanied minor apprehensions at the Southwest border.

Last Updated: | Testimony

Written testimony of ICE for a Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing titled “The Unaccompanied Children Crisis: Does the Administration Have a Plan to Stop the Border Surge and Adequately Monitor the Children?”

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations Executive Associate Director Thomas Homan addresses ICE’s role in addressing issues related to unaccompanied children arriving in the United States.

Last Updated: | Testimony

Written testimony of CBP for a Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing titled “The Unaccompanied Children Crisis: Does the Administration Have a Plan to Stop the Border Surge and Adequately Monitor the Children?”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) U.S. Border Patrol acting Chief Ronald Vitiello addresses the role of CBP in the care and placement of unaccompanied alien children  who cross the Nation’s Southwest border.

Last Updated: | Publication

CIS Ombudsman's Recommendations to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 2015

Recommendations to USCIS and their response for the year 2015.

Last Updated: | Testimony

Written testimony of USCIS for a Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing titled “The 2014 Humanitarian Crisis at our Border: A Review of the Government’s Response to Unaccompanied Minors One Year Later”

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate Associate Director Joseph Langlois addresses the Asylum Division’s processing of asylum applications filed by unaccompanied children.

Last Updated: | Testimony

Written testimony of ICE for a Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing titled “The 2014 Humanitarian Crisis at our Border: A Review of the Government’s Response to Unaccompanied Minors One Year Later”

U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations Assistant Director of Field Operations Philip Miller reviews ICE’s role in addressing issues related to unaccompanied children arriving in the United States.