S.388: Families, Not Facilities Act of 2019
Overview
The Families, Not Facilities Act (S. 388) would prohibit the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from using Health and Human Services HHS information provided by an unaccompanied child, to conduct civil immigration enforcement actions against a child or current/prospective custodian or sponsor of that child. The bill would transfer $220 million from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Funding to programs that protect unaccompanied children.
$180 would go to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) programs in order to provide unaccompanied children with comprehensive social work services and connect them with legal representation.
$30 would go to the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Program;
$10 would go to the HHS Task Force to Prevent and End Human Trafficking.
The bill would also establish an ORR Advisory Committee on Shelters comprised of nonprofit immigration organizations and child welfare experts.
H.R. 2217 is the House companion bill introduced by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
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