Trump Admin Has Abruptly Stopped Reuniting Immigrant Children with Their Families

"What recourse are you left with when a government program simply stops doing the thing that is its primary purpose, and refuses to explain why? That's what hundreds of parents, family members and legal guardians have presumably been wondering about the United States Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) in the last few months, given an explosive report published today by NPR affiliate KERA News, which alleges that ORR, the agency tasked with caring for "unaccompanied" minors and reuniting them with vetted sponsors,"

"According to data gathered by The Texas Newsroom and The California Newsroom, accounts from immigration attorneys, and confidential sources inside ORR itself, the program was given verbal instruction at the beginning of November to abruptly cease returning migrant children to families ... even when those sponsors have passed newly enhanced vetting requirements introduced by the Trump administration earlier this year. As a result, the pace of releases has basically stopped entirely."

ORR halted releases of unaccompanied migrant children to vetted sponsors beginning in early November after verbal instructions to stop returning children to families. Data from multiple newsrooms, immigration attorneys, and confidential ORR sources indicate the pause persisted despite sponsors passing newly introduced enhanced vetting requirements. The program operates within HHS but has increasingly functioned like an arm of immigration enforcement under the second Trump administration. Project 2025 proposed relocating ORR to DHS, raising concerns that involvement by ICE and DHS could expose migrant children to increased risk and disappearance. Release pace has effectively ceased, leaving families without explanations.

Read at Jezebel