Crapo, Risch, Grassley Demand Changes to Rule Endangering Safety and Wellbeing of Unaccompanied Alien Children

Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo, Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) led 36 Senate Republicans in demanding the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) overhaul its harmful and deficient policies governing the agency’s treatment of unaccompanied immigrant children in the United States.  The Proposed Rule--parts of which the agency is already enforcing--allows vulnerable children to be placed in the custody of unvetted, potentially criminal sponsors and obstructs whistleblowers from reporting to Congress on abuse in the program.  The Senators are demanding ORR rewrite its policies or face congressional action to overturn the finalized rule.

“This Proposed Rule ignores nearly seven years of oversight conducted by Congress and the Office of Inspector General and reveals chronic foot-dragging—if not total reluctance—when it comes to protecting vulnerable children,” the Senators wrote.  “It provides ample protections to government bureaucrats at the expense of children. Even more concerning, ‘the requirements being [adopted] in this proposed rule are already enforced by [the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)].’ . . . ORR does not even consider a sponsor’s criminal record, current illegal drug use, history of abuse or neglect, or other child welfare concerns ‘necessarily disqualifying to potential sponsorship.’…  In effect, ORR accepts a sponsor’s representations almost entirely on face value.”

“ORR’s Proposed Rule abdicates the agency’s responsibility for protecting the vulnerable children in its custody from harmful behavior by poorly vetted, potential criminals. For these services, the taxpayer paid ORR $5.5 billion in FY2022. The Proposed Rule is wholly unworkable and ORR should discard it and its current practices. If not, Congress will have no choice but to introduce a resolution of disapproval under the  Congressional Review Act,” the Senators concluded.

Joining Crapo, Risch and Grassley in sending the letter are U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri), Katie Boyd Britt (R-Alabama), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), John Thune (R-South Dakota), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Todd Young (R-Indiana), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi).

The full letter is available here.