Key Takeaways
• ORR now requires DNA checks and stricter income proof for sponsors of immigrant children.
• ICE has unfettered access to sensitive ORR data, risking sponsor arrests and family separations.
• New policies could lead to more children remaining longer in federal custody due to higher sponsorship barriers.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) is facing a big change, moving away from its long-standing mission to care for immigrant children toward a stronger role in immigration enforcement. This shift under the second Trump administration has caused worries among past and current staff, immigrant advocates, and the families who count on the agency’s help. As reported by VisaVerge.com, these changes could affect how many children find safe homes, how families are treated, and even how the U.S. government is seen worldwide.
Let’s look at the main reasons behind this shift, the new rules being introduced, the arguments for and against these policies, and what this means for everyone affected by immigration enforcement.
The Start of a New Direction for the ORR
At the beginning of 2025, Mellissa Harper, who spent much of her career at ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), took over as the leader of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The choice of a known immigration enforcement officer to head the ORR immediately set off alarms for many people, especially those who worry about mixing the care of children with the work of immigration enforcement.
The ORR was created to keep immigrant children safe, especially those arriving in the country without parents. It is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and was meant to stand apart from agencies whose main job is to enforce immigration laws. When President Trump signed an executive order on January 20, 2025, calling for more information sharing between the HHS and the Department of Homeland Security, it looked like the lines between the jobs of these agencies were becoming blurred.
New Rules for Sponsors: What’s Different?
After Mellissa Harper stepped in, a series of new, tougher rules were quickly put in place for people who want to sponsor immigrant children. Sponsors can often be close relatives, like aunts, uncles, or even older siblings. Until these changes, many sponsors were approved as long as they could show basic identification and prove they would provide a safe home.
Here are some of the biggest changes now in effect:
- The ORR will not accept foreign passports or ID cards as proof of identity, unless the person already has legal status in the United States. In the past, many families used foreign documents because that’s all they had.
- DNA checks are now required for relatives hoping to sponsor children. This means more delays while families try to prove they are really related.
- Income rules have been made stricter. Sponsors now must show pay stubs or tax returns to prove they earn enough money.
- With these barriers, many experts expect to see more children taken back from their sponsors and placed in federal custody.
The idea behind these steps, administration officials say, is to make sure children do not end up in unsafe, abusive, or criminal situations. But for many families, these rules make it much harder—even impossible—to care for their own loved ones.
Is the ORR Becoming an Arm of Immigration Enforcement?
Current and former employees of the Office of Refugee Resettlement have said immigration enforcement officers now have “unfettered access” to sensitive information about children and their sponsors. This means officials at ICE, the main immigration enforcement agency, can see the same databases used by those caring for children. Many people say this is a sharp return to policies from President Trump’s first term in office, when data sharing between ORR and ICE led to the arrest of at least 170 people trying to sponsor kids even though they had no legal status.
There are even more enforcement-focused steps happening at the same time:
– The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is giving information about people’s taxes to ICE, so officers can look for anyone who might be in the country illegally.
– There is a new rule that says every undocumented immigrant must register with ICE, sharing personal details and biometric data (like fingerprints).
– The government has introduced a “CBP Home” app, which even has an option for people to start a self-deportation request.
– Migrants who are ordered to leave the United States but do not go can now be fined up to $998 every day they remain.
For advocates, these actions clearly point to a government that is focusing much more on deportation and immigration enforcement, with the Office of Refugee Resettlement pulled into the process.
Arguments for the Changes: Are Children More Protected?
Supporters of the new policies say the tough steps are all about safety. According to Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, the agency under President Biden failed to keep children safe after releasing them to sponsors. Nixon accuses the previous administration of ignoring risks and letting some children end up in bad situations.
The people behind these changes, including Mellissa Harper and others from immigration enforcement backgrounds, argue that DNA checks, income rules, and other strict vetting help prevent child abuse, child trafficking, and other dangers. They believe that sometimes, the only way to guarantee a child’s safety is to look very closely at anyone asking to sponsor them—even if it means making the process much harder.
Arguments Against the Changes: Losing the Humanitarian Mission
But there are strong voices speaking out against this new approach. Scott Shuchart, who once worked for the Department of Homeland Security and ICE himself, says the whole idea behind ORR was to keep a clear line between child protection and immigration enforcement. Lawmakers set up the agency so children would not be directly caught up in deportation battles.
Advocates and former staff are worried that the tougher policies will drive immigrant families further underground, increasing their fear of seeking help or coming forward when sponsors are needed. They claim this could push children into poor living and working conditions, since families may be too scared to risk exposing themselves to immigration enforcement, even when trying to care for children.
There are also big questions about whether sharing information so freely between agencies may scare both children and sponsors away from asking for help at all.
What Does the Office of Refugee Resettlement Say?
The ORR itself insists that its main job is still to find safe homes for unaccompanied kids and that it “is not a law enforcement or immigration enforcement entity.” In official statements, the agency says all new rules are meant simply to make sure children end up in safe hands.
But this statement is hard to square with real-world changes: databases are open to ICE, DNA checks and income tests are now the rule, and the entire vetting process feels more and more like what is done for crime or border control, not for child welfare.
Bigger Picture: The Project 2025 Blueprint
These changes are not happening by accident. They follow plans from Project 2025, a blueprint from right-wing groups that called for moving the Office of Refugee Resettlement under the Department of Homeland Security. Even though President Trump later said publicly that he does not back the full plan, his administration’s actions are closely following these ideas.
Supporters of Project 2025 say it makes sense to put all immigration work under one roof, so everyone is working together. Critics respond that mixing child care with immigration enforcement is dangerous for children and families who need help and protection.
Historical Context: Has This Happened Before?
During President Trump’s first term, the Office of Refugee Resettlement also worked much more closely with immigration enforcement agencies. Information was shared, and some sponsors were arrested, making it harder to find safe places for children. These policies were met with strong criticism from immigrant advocates, human rights groups, and even some former government officials. The Biden administration then took steps to roll back many of these changes, but with the new administration, the old approach has come back—now even stronger.
Who Does This Affect Most?
- Immigrant Children: They face longer stays in federal shelters and more hurdles to finding safe, family-based care. Children may go for weeks, months, or even longer in custody while their families try to meet the new demands.
- Family and Sponsors: With harder rules, many people who could once sponsor children cannot anymore, either because they do not have the right papers, enough money, or fear being arrested.
- Communities: Local groups and charities that work with immigrants must now deal with families who are more afraid and less likely to ask for help.
- U.S. Society: The whole country must decide what it stands for when the agency meant to care for vulnerable children is also helping immigration enforcement.
What Are the Possible Long-Term Impacts?
If these policies stay in place or get even tougher, the United States 🇺🇸 could see big consequences:
- More Children in Custody: If fewer sponsors can pass the tough checks, more kids will spend a long time in government shelters, which can hurt their mental health and development.
- Loss of Trust: Many immigrant families may learn not to trust U.S. agencies, making it harder for them to report abuse or help children who need care.
- Legal Challenges: There may be court cases from families and advocacy groups, arguing that the new rules break laws meant to protect children.
- International Reputation: The U.S. 🇺🇸 could be seen as turning away from protecting children seeking safety.
Official Information and Further Resources
Anyone involved with the Office of Refugee Resettlement—whether as a sponsor, child, or worker—can find their official policies and information on the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s official government page. This website includes up-to-date program details and guidelines.
Different Views: Ongoing Debate
This new direction has stirred up plenty of debate:
- Government and Supporters: They argue that safety must come first and that strong checks help save children from abuse and trafficking.
- Critics and Advocates: They say that making it harder to sponsor children does not just make them safer—it may actually put them at greater risk by pushing families and kids into hiding or unsafe situations.
Both sides agree on one thing: keeping children safe is the most important goal. The hard part is deciding who to trust and how to check that children really will be safe—without causing more harm along the way.
What Comes Next?
What happens next will depend on how these policies work in real life, what courts decide if there are lawsuits, and whether Congress wants to step in with new laws. Immigrant families, legal service providers, and children’s advocates will be closely watching to see if the balance between safety and compassion can be restored.
If you or someone you know is affected by these changes, it is always best to check official sources or seek help from trusted community organizations. Remember, the rules can change quickly, and staying informed is the best way to protect yourself and the people you love.
In summary, the Office of Refugee Resettlement under Mellissa Harper and the Trump administration is moving away from a purely humanitarian job and becoming much more involved in immigration enforcement. This shift brings big questions about what the United States wants for its children, families, and future. The coming months will show whether these new policies really help protect children or simply make it harder for the most vulnerable to find safety and care.
Learn Today
Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) → A U.S. federal agency under HHS responsible for caring for unaccompanied immigrant children.
Immigration Enforcement → Government actions, often by ICE, aiming to enforce immigration laws and deport those in the country illegally.
Sponsor → A person, often a relative, approved to care for an immigrant child while their legal case proceeds.
DNA Check → A test that analyzes genetic material to confirm biological relationships, now used to verify sponsor-child connections.
Biometric Data → Unique physical information, such as fingerprints, collected by authorities for identification and immigration recordkeeping.
This Article in a Nutshell
The Office of Refugee Resettlement is shifting from its humanitarian mission to a stronger role in immigration enforcement, raising concerns among advocates and families. With tougher sponsor requirements and expanded data sharing with ICE, more immigrant children face longer stays in custody and greater difficulty reuniting with loved ones.
— By VisaVerge.com
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