1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my profound condemnation and deep distress regarding the current treatment of unaccompanied immigrant children in federal custody. I am appalled to learn that children are being stranded in government facilities for months on end, despite having vetted sponsors and family members in the United States waiting for them. It is clear that this crisis is not an accident. According to a June 2026 press release from Representative Andrea Salinas (salinas.house.gov), the administration has transformed the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) into a tool for indefinite detention. As of March 2026, children were held in custody for an average of more than 200 days, which is over 500 percent longer than under the previous administration. This has been achieved through deliberate administrative design, including the sharing of sponsor information with ICE to facilitate arrests of parents and the implementation of overly stringent sponsorship requirements that preclude parents without immigration status from eligibility. These actions are a blatant violation of the Flores Settlement Agreement, which requires that children be placed in the least restrictive setting possible. Instead of providing care, the government has used ORR as an arm of an immigration enforcement agenda. The psychological trauma is devastating; reports from the HHS Inspector General indicate that these prolonged stays have led to spiking instances of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal ideation among detained children. I cannot remain silent while our government ignores legal mandates to intentionally prolong the suffering of children. I urgently request that you call for a congressional hearing to investigate these practices and the specific roles of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and ORR Acting Director Angie Salazar in overseeing these policies. I ask that you demand accountability for these individuals and seek their removal from office for presiding over the mistreatment of the most vulnerable populations in our care. I look forward to your prompt response and a clear plan to end these violations of human rights and law.