U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) has introduced H.R. 7854, the Unaccompanied Minor Placement Notification Act, which requires the Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to provide advanced notification to school districts and child welfare agencies when an unaccompanied minor is placed in their respective jurisdictions.
“Unaccompanied minors are crossing our southern border in record droves,” said Griffith. “ORR currently fails to notify any school district or child welfare agency if an unaccompanied minor is placed in a home, leading to issues of illegal child labor and abuse. The Unaccompanied Minor Placement Notification Act changes this HHS policy and it will give some protection to minors from exploitation.”
