The Associated Press obtained a Sept. 10 directive instructing federal shelters to stop sending potential trafficking cases involving unaccompanied children directly to the Office on Trafficking in Persons and instead route them through the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Critics say the change inserts a bureaucratic hurdle that could delay or block access to visas and services designed to protect young victims. Under prior policy, caregivers had 24 hours to alert anti-trafficking specialists once they suspected forced labour or sexual exploitation. The memo’s new two-step process, advocates argue, places life-altering decisions in the hands of an agency whose primary mandate is detention management, not victim identification. For global-mobility teams relocating families with mixed-immigration status, the shift heightens vulnerability: teenagers fleeing recruitment or forced marriage abroad may find it harder to secure T-visas or asylum once in ORR custody. Law firms that handle humanitarian petitions expect a spike in urgent filings and recommend documenting trafficking indicators early in the intake process. The Trump administration insists the change will “streamline” reviews and curb fraudulent claims, noting that 95 percent of 2025 reports did not rise to criminal trafficking. Opponents counter that ORR lacks specialised expertise and faces political pressure to deny benefits. Congressional Democrats are drafting oversight hearings, but until then, NGOs warn that minors could be deported before they receive victim certifications critical to long-term legal status.
Source: Associated Press
