Bill > S388

Introduced Session

A bill to reduce the ability of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to engage in inappropriate civil immigration enforcement actions that harm unaccompanied alien children and to ensure the safety and welfare of unaccompanied alien children. This bill amends provisions related to the safety of minor aliens that enter the United States unaccompanied by a guardian. When placing an unaccompanied alien child with a proposed custodian, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall not consider the custodian's immigration status. DHS shall not use certain information obtained for placing a child with a custodian to apprehend, detain, or deport certain individuals, including the child, proposed sponsor, or a person living with the sponsor. The Office of Refugee Settlement shall provide services for unaccompanied alien children after they have been released, to help them transition into their communities and to connect them with legal representation. Money appropriated to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for FY2019 shall be redirected to fund such services. Other money appropriated for ICE shall be redirected to various programs to investigate and prevent child trafficking. This bill also establishes the Office of Refugee Resettlement Advisory Committee on Shelters for Unaccompanied Alien Children. The advisory committee may conduct unannounced inspections of Office of Refugee Settlement shelters that hold unaccompanied alien children and shall issue reports on its investigations and recommendations regarding the shelters.

Committee Categories

Kamala Harris (D)*,  Richard Blumenthal (D),  Cory Booker (D),  Catherine Cortez Masto (D),  Dianne Feinstein (D),  Kirsten Gillibrand (D),  Amy Klobuchar (D),  Ed Markey (D),  Jeff Merkley (D),  Bernie Sanders (I),  Elizabeth Warren (D),  Ron Wyden (D), 

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (on 02/07/2019)

Official Document