The information in this blog post is current as of April 7, 2026.
CILA is excited to share a new, in-depth resource Working with Detained Unaccompanied Children. The resource is available to those with a CILA account.
CILA created this manual for advocates nationwide who work with children and youth who are in the care and custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), also referred to as detained unaccompanied children. This guide is intended to help advocates new to working with detained unaccompanied children learn the nuts and bolts of serving this population.
This resource provides a detailed review of the apprehension, detention, and release of unaccompanied children, including relevant sources of law, legal protections, stakeholders, issues that can arise during detention, and a discussion of particularly vulnerable populations. The resource also covers common forms of legal relief, child interviewing skills, and self-care. The hope is that this manual will help practitioners hit the ground running when working with detained unaccompanied children.
Contact CILA at cila@abacila.org if you need additional assistance accessing this resource.