Requires background checks and criminal-record screening before unaccompanied migrant children are placed with sponsors, and requires secure placement for certain children 12 and older who are flight risks or pose a danger.

• Prohibits placing a child with a sponsor who is not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, or who has certain criminal convictions, including sex offenses, trafficking, child abuse, and felonies.
• Requires children 12 and older to be held in secure facilities during immigration proceedings if they are a flight risk or a danger, including for gang-related tattoos, certain convictions, or pending gang-related charges.
• Requires the Department of Health and Human Services to give the Department of Homeland Security sponsor and household information, including Social Security numbers and fingerprint-based criminal checks, before placing a child.
• Bars releasing unaccompanied children on their own recognizance, and takes effect on enactment for pending and future custody determinations.

• Judiciary Committee (House)

Crime and Law Enforcement