Settlement ends fingerprinting delays that kept migrant kids in U.S. custody for months at a time

Civil rights advocates and attorneys announced this week that they secured a settlement from the federal government that should help ensure that unaccompanied migrant children are not kept in U.S. custody for prolonged periods of time. 

The New York Civil Liberties Union, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), National Center for Youth Law, and law firm Morrison Foerster had sued the previous administration back in 2018, over intentionally harsh vetting procedures that kept children in Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) custody for months at a time. This included a policy forcing everyone in a household—in addition to the sponsor—to submit fingerprints in order to house a child.

Under blowback, the previous administration rolled back that fingerprinting expansion. The settlement this week now also ensures that the fingerprinting of the person applying to sponsor a child is done in a speedy manner.

RELATED STORY: Biden admin ends policy that made migrant kids' potential sponsors vulnerable to ICE