ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL OPPOSES NEW BARRIERS TO SPONSORSHIP OF UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN

August 28, 2026

Chicago - Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 18 attorneys general, today submitted a comment letter opposing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) proposed rule that would add unnecessary and burdensome new requirements for sponsors of unaccompanied immigrant children.

Raoul and the coalition argue in their comment letter that the proposed rule's requirements related to proof of identity and proof of income for potential sponsors will create barriers that will make it more difficult for immigrant family members and other qualified individuals to sponsor unaccompanied children, decreasing the number of available sponsors and prolonging children's time in federal custody.

This proposed rule would lead to family separations and increase the time immigrant children spend in federal immigration facilities," Raoul said. "I join my fellow attorneys general in calling on HHS to abandon this ill-conceived proposal."

Attorney General Raoul and the coalition have a strong interest in protecting the rights of unaccompanied immigrant children. Every year, thousands of children are released from immigration custody and reunited with parents, family members or other adult sponsors who are residents of the coalition states. These children go on to become members of our communities, attending schools, participating in the workforce and eventually having children of their own. Prolonging the time they spend in federal custody has proven to have adverse effects on their ability to thrive in communities after their release, as research shows that excessive time in immigration custody disrupts child development and is particularly harmful to their mental health and physical well-being.

In the comment letter, Raoul and the coalition argue that the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) failed to provide adequate justification for the proposed rule's changes to the proof of income and proof of identity requirements, which directly interfere with HHS' and ORR's obligations under The William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) and the Unaccompanied Children Program Foundational Rule (Foundational Rule). The TVPRA and the Foundational Rule, respectively, require that HHS and ORR place children in the least restrictive environment that is in the best interests of the child, and to release children without unnecessary delay.

Joining Raoul in submitting this comment letter are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.