Advocates working with unaccompanied children need to navigate various legal protections and processes related to the care and custody of immigrant youth in federal detention. The ABA Children’s Immigration Law Academy (CILA) has a number of resources to help advocates understand who is responsible for the care of children in detention and the regulations and other legal protections governing the detention of children facing deportation.
Those new to working in this area should check out CILA’s “Fact Sheet: Unaccompanied Children at the Border,” which provides a high level overview of why children arrive unaccompanied at the border, the system in place for unaccompanied children, and legal protections for unaccompanied children. CILA’s Pro Bono Guide for Working with Children and Youth in Immigration Cases also contains helpful background information about working with unaccompanied children.
Advocates working on immigration cases involving unaccompanied minors or children in removal proceedings are encouraged to sign up for a free CILA account to access CILA’s more in-depth resources. The following are some of our resources on this topic available to accountholders:
- Frequently Asked Questions: Who Regulates the Detention of Children Facing Deportation? – CILA recently updated this 8 page resource with a more in-depth discussion about the regulations and various agencies that have facilities detaining unaccompanied children who are facing potential removal. Accountholders can check it out here.
- Overview of the ORR Foundational Rule for the Unaccompanied Children Program – This resource provides a comprehensive analysis and summary of the regulations governing detention facilities managed by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), the federal agency that is primarily responsible for the care and custody of unaccompanied children and part of the Department of Health and Human services (HHS). Accountholders can check it out here.
- Who’s Who in the Unaccompanied Children’s World? A Visual Guide – One page summary of the different stakeholders commonly involved in unaccompanied children’s cases, including various federal agencies. Accountholders can check it out here.
- Who’s Who in the Unaccompanied Children’s World? A Guide to Identifying and Working with Stakeholders – This 14 page resource outlines key potential stakeholders for cases involving unaccompanied children along with information for advocates about how to work with these stakeholders and develop effective stakeholder relations. Accountholders can check it out here.