By John Q. Hosedrinker 
The Trump administration has largely ceased releasing undocumented children in federal custody to their parents and other relatives since early November. While the Administration for Children and Families claims that enhanced vetting policies are in place to better protect the children, sources within the Office of Refugee Resettlement indicate that a verbal order was issued to halt releases. Before this unofficial order, only about four children were released to sponsors daily. Consequently, children are experiencing increased detention, causing mental health issues and impacting reunification efforts.
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The Trump administration has all but stopped reuniting detained migrant children with families. It’s a shocking situation, really. The core issue revolves around kids, from toddlers to teenagers, who are apprehended at the border without a parent or guardian, or are separated from them during arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. These children, often traumatized by their experiences, are then transferred to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which typically places them in shelters across the country. There are thousands of kids in ORR custody at any given time, a heartbreaking testament to the policies in place.
But the real gut punch is the shift in how these kids are handled. In early November, agency leadership within ORR reportedly ordered a hold on releasing children to sponsors, even if those sponsors had already been cleared to receive them. The implications of this are devastating.
Why is the government spending taxpayer money on sheltering these children when there are people who have been cleared to receive them? It’s not just wasteful; it’s cruelty. Previously, children might spend a few weeks in ORR custody, a period of uncertainty and stress, but at least there was a clear path towards reunification. Now, they’re stuck there for months, creating a situation where kids endure long periods without seeing their families or loved ones.
It’s a stark reminder of the human cost of these policies. Imagine the fear, the confusion, and the longing that these children must experience. It’s not hard to see why some children are choosing to get out of U.S. custody by leaving the country.
There is a fear that these children are being exploited. There are whispers of child sex trafficking rings, where these vulnerable children become victims. The potential for such exploitation casts a long shadow over this situation. And there are accusations that the administration is not keeping proper records or is intentionally making it harder to reunite children with their families.
The government’s actions, or lack thereof, raise serious questions about accountability. The silence from some quarters is deafening, as if the suffering of these children is an afterthought, or worse, a deliberate outcome.
This treatment of vulnerable children is a moral failing, a breach of human decency. It is a reality that this country must confront and address with utmost urgency.