United States President Donald Trump's administration is starting to require parents who want to reunite with their children, who entered the country alone, first to undergo interviews with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Legal advocacy groups argue that this particular change has already resulted in some parents being arrested while their kids remain in U.S. custody. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) referred to the Biden administration's struggles to properly vet and monitor homes where children are placed instead of confirming the shift in policy.
Required ICE Interviews
The one that issued the directive is the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is part of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department. It is also the one responsible for taking custody of children who cross the border without a parent or legal guardian.
The agency noted that its primary goal now is to ensure that sponsors, who are usually a parent or a guardian, are properly vetted. The latest memo is part of the Trump administration's latest efforts involving children who entered the country alone, according to the Associated Press.
The situation came after the Labor Day weekend, when the current government tried to remove Guatemalan children who were living in shelters or with foster care families. The memo, which was released on July 9, said sponsors must appear in person for identification verification.
Read more: DHS To Allow Teenagers To Become ICE Agents by Removing Age Restrictions for Prospective Officers
Before the change, they were allowed to submit identity documents online. The directive also notes that "federal law enforcement agencies may be present to meet their own mission objectives, which may include interviewing sponsors."
The managing director of human rights at the National Center for Youth Law, Neha Desai, argued that the latest change provides ICE a "built-in opportunity" to arrest parents. This is something that she said has already happened, PBS reported.
Children in the U.S.
The director of policy and legislative affairs for the Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights, Mary Miller Flowers, said she was aware of a case where immigration officers arrested the father of a child who was under the age of 12 after they showed up for an identification check.
Desai added that the required interviews are not likely to produce any useful information that authorities do not already have. The vetting process already includes home studies and background checks conducted by workers with the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
The agency notes that it communicates "clearly and proactively" with parents, where they tell them that they may be interviewed by ICE agents or other law enforcement officials. It added that parents can decline to attend the interviews, noting that it would not influence decisions whether or not their children will be released to them, as per the Record Eagle.
