Sponsors (3)
Introduced September 11, 2025 by Nancy Mace · Last progress September 11, 2025
The bill strengthens protections for unaccompanied children through intensive vetting, monitoring, and a clear custody trigger, but does so at the cost of significant privacy and surveillance intrusions, potential reductions in family placements, administrative burdens, and higher implementation costs.
Unaccompanied children will receive continuous HHS oversight (regular monitoring, unannounced home visits, and reporting) until removal, age 18, or lawful status, improving early detection of exploitation, disappearance, or unsafe placements.
Sponsors will undergo extensive vetting (criminal, child-abuse, terrorism, identity checks) and those with recent serious convictions, sex-offender registrations, or gang/terror ties are barred, reducing the likelihood that children are placed with high‑risk or dangerous adults.
HHS is required to take immediate custody when a child is deemed at risk, providing a clear, enforceable mechanism to remove children quickly from harmful situations.
Children and sponsors will be subject to continuous GPS tracking and collection of biometric data (including DNA) with CODIS checks, creating major privacy and surveillance risks and increasing the chance families' genetic information is stored in law‑enforcement databases.
Extensive vetting requirements and bans on sponsors (including those unlawfully present or with foreign criminal records) may reduce the pool of eligible sponsors, delaying placements or forcing more children into longer custody, disrupting family reunification.
Monthly telephonic reporting and frequent unannounced visits impose administrative burdens and can disrupt family life and children's schooling in sponsoring households.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires HHS (with DHS) to enroll UACs in a program that vets sponsors, collects DNA, GPS‑monitors children and sponsors, mandates monthly reporting, and conducts frequent home visits.
Requires the Department of Health and Human Services, working with the Department of Homeland Security, to create an anti‑trafficking program for unaccompanied alien children (UACs). The program must enroll UACs released from HHS custody, vet and screen prospective sponsors and adult household members, collect DNA, continuously GPS‑monitor children and sponsors while the child lives with the sponsor, require monthly phone check‑ins for children age 4+, and perform an initial household inspection plus multiple unannounced home visits each year. Gives HHS authority to immediately take custody of any enrolled UAC believed to be at risk of exploitation, abuse, or unsafe conditions and requires notification to DHS. Enrollment lasts until the child is ordered removed, turns 18, or gains lawful immigration status.