HHS Releases Unaccompanied Child Manual of Procedures Due to FOIA Litigation

In response to a lawsuit filed by VECINA and the National Immigration Litigation Alliance (NILA), the Administration for Children and Families within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-ACF) released a complete, unredacted copy of the Unaccompanied Child Manual of Procedures (UC MAP). The UC MAP is the primary policy document on which HHS-ACF and its program office the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) rely to administer their programs for detained unaccompanied migrant children.

For more information, visit: https://immigrationlitigation.org/transparency-litigation-foia/

VECINA & NILA v. Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (D. Mass.) – Lawsuit seeking records the immediate release and proactive disclosure of a full and complete copy of the Unaccompanied Child Manual of Procedures (UC MAP).

Co-Counsel: Araujo & Fisher LLC

Status: The complaint was filed on November 1, 2023. On December 11, 2023, the Administration for Children and Families released an unredacted copy of all 6 sections of the manual. Whether the agency will proactively disclose the manual going forward remains an outstanding issue in the case.

Documents:

• Complaint
• Section 1: Placement in ORR Care Provider Facilities
• Section 2: Safe and Timely Release from ORR Care
• Section 3: Services
• Section 4: Preventing, Detecting, and Responding to Sexual Abuse and Harassment
• Section 5: Program Management
• Section 6: Resources and Services Available After Release from ORR Care