The U.S. government said on March 25 that it is removing restrictions that prevented authorities from sharing with law enforcement the immigration status of people who sponsored unaccompanied illegal immigrant minors.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said in a formal notice that it was making the change because the restrictions contravened federal law.
Minors who arrive in the United States without a parent or guardian, or unaccompanied minors, can be sponsored by an adult who meets certain criteria.
A 2024 “foundational rule” promulgated by ORR stated that the agency, while vetting potential sponsors, takes into account their immigration status. But ORR also stated in the rule that it “shall not collect information on immigration status of potential sponsors for law enforcement or immigration enforcement related purposes” and “shall not share any immigration status information relating to potential sponsors with any law enforcement or immigration enforcement related entity at any time.”…