The Trump administration sought access to a database containing information on hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied immigrant minors who crossed into the U.S. without their parents, according to White House border czar Tom Homan. The database, maintained by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) under the Department of Health and Human Services, is used to identify and screen sponsors (often relatives) to care for these children. Historically, ORR has operated independently of immigration enforcement agencies like ICE to avoid deterring undocumented sponsors from coming forward. Homan claimed the goal of accessing the database was to verify the safety of children released from ORR custody, not for immigration enforcement. However, critics, including civil liberties groups, argued that similar efforts during Trump’s first term led to prolonged detention of children and the arrest of undocumented sponsors, discouraging families from claiming minors. They also noted that many children are not "missing" but are with family members, and ORR already conducts welfare checks. The administration also appointed a career ICE official, Mellissa Harper, to lead ORR, raising concerns about increased collaboration between ORR and ICE. Advocacy groups warned that such policies could violate federal guidelines and prolong children's detention. Additionally, Homan discussed plans to expand detention facilities, including a proposed camp at Guantánamo Bay, as part of Trump’s mass deportation campaign. The Trump administration’s previous “zero tolerance” policy, which forcibly separated thousands of migrant families at the border, was widely condemned. Critics argue that the new efforts could replicate the harms of that policy, further traumatizing children and families.
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#UnaccompaniedMinors
#FamilySeparation
#HumanRights
#ImmigrationReform
#ORR
#ICE
#BorderCrisis
#ProtectChildren
#NoKidsInCages
#ImmigrationJustice
#RefugeeRights
#ZeroTolerance
#ImmigrationAdvocacy
#StopFamilyDetention
