U.S. judge orders review of selected young refugees' cases by the relevant authorities.
Unveiling a Policy U-Turn: Judge Halts Strict Identification Requirements for Migrant Child Sponsors
In a game-changing decision, a federal judge has ordered the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to reassess the cases of certain migrant children who've been detained due to the Trump administration's stringent identification regulations for potential family sponsors.
Judge Dabney Friedrich, based in Washington, D.C., opined that these stringent rules have led to unnecessary delays for both children and their hopeful parents or adult siblings. The White House remained silent on the matter, failing to respond to a request for comment.
Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, a legal advocacy firm representing some of the afflicted children, praised the ruling as a crucial step towards family reunification and a barrier against the dilution of legal protections for children.
Under the Trump administration, the average time spent by migrant children in shelters before being released to family members surged to 217 days. However, this figure decreased to 35 days during the Biden administration.
The Trump administration defended the measures, citing concerns over improper vetting of adult sponsors and potential child exploitation or abuse. The new regulations now mandate DNA testing and income verification, besides limiting the use of foreign passports and international documents for identity proof.
However, Friedrich argued that the sudden rule changes, without advance notice to potentially impacted children, contradicted fair practices. Children arriving in the U.S. with expectations of family sponsorship might have avoided entry otherwise.
A case in point is a child who'd spent two years living with his sister before being taken back into custody due to a minor driving offense. Under the new rules, he remains stuck in government custody without a potential sponsor.
Judge Friedrich hinted at the ORR's possible arbitrary and capricious actions, calling for proper justification for the new sponsor documentation requirements. Agencies, the judge emphasized, must balance the disrupted interests of families and children against other valid concerns.
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