August 25, 2026 – CDF encourages the public and lawmakers on Capitol Hill to speak out against this proposal from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The public comment period ends tonight, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Media Contact: John Henry, JHenry@childrensdefense.org, CDF Media Relations Manager, @johnhenrydc, 708-646-7679
Washington, DC—The national youth advocacy organization Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) strongly opposes a proposal by President Donald Trump’s administration that would alter the nation’s unaccompanied child program, invite abuse of children in federal custody, and make it impossible for many children to reunite with their families.
The proposed rule, which was entered into the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement on June 26, would allow unvetted federal contractors to perform body searches on children in custody and make it significantly harder for unaccompanied children to reunite with safe family members due to new financial eligibility requirements and other complications to the process.
Read More: HHS’ Office of Refugee Resettlement’s Proposed Rule Concerning Unaccompanied Youth
CDF believes the proposal, if approved, would amount to state-sanctioned child abuse. The organization stands in support of The Young Center for Immigrant Rights’ public comments that point out the proposal would also allow the government to keep children in federal custody longer, increasing the likelihood that they endure trauma.
The public has until tonight, August 25, at 11:59 p.m. EST, to file comment against the federal government’s proposal.
CDF President and CEO Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson criticized the proposal, arguing that government policies should protect children and uphold their dignity instead of harming them. He encourages members of Congress to speak out against the proposed rule.
“Children’s Defense Fund refuses to accept family separation and neglect of our youngest neighbors as inevitable. As it stands, this proposal would keep unaccompanied children in federal custody longer and expose them to greater risks of abuse, including body searches by unvetted federal contractors. This is not acceptable for any child, especially those outside the care of their parents. Every child deserves to be treated with care and our government has legal and moral responsibility to protect children from harm.
“Parents across the country have just taken students for physical examinations in preparation for the first day of school. Just like these caring moments, any physical examination should be conducted by a licensed medical professional, follow rigorous safeguards to protect the child’s and parent’s consent, and ensure the young people’s privacy, dignity, and well-being are intact. Our partners from the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights and First Focus on Children have documented how these choices are shaping children’s lives. America must place children at the center of its caring concerns and policy conversations. When we fail to do so, the consequences are felt first and worst by those already pushed to the margins. This moment demands clarity and courage.”
CDF-Texas State Director Dr. Brandy Taylor Dédé added that the proposal shows the Trump administration is using children and young people as a bargaining chip to advance its glaring anti-immigrant agenda.
“Every child deserves to live in safety, not fear,” said Dr. Taylor Dédé. “This proposal is profoundly harmful. Our leaders have both a legal and moral responsibility to protect children and young people from harm. At a time when we should be working to reunite unaccompanied children with their families as quickly and safely as possible, this proposal moves us in the wrong direction and risks causing further trauma to children who have already endured more than any child should.”