Protection of Children Act of 2017

To amend the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to provide for the expedited removal of unaccompanied alien children who are not victims of a severe form of trafficking in persons and who do not have a fear of returning to their country of nationality or last habitual residence, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Protection of Children Act of 2017 2. Repatriation of unaccompanied alien children (a) In general Section 235 of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 ( 8 U.S.C. 1232 (1) in subsection (a)— (A) in paragraph (2)— (i) by amending the heading to read as follows: Rules for unaccompanied alien children. (ii) in subparagraph (A); (I) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking who is a national or habitual resident of a country that is contiguous with the United States (II) in clause (i), by inserting and (III) in clause (ii), by striking ; and (IV) by striking clause (iii); (iii) in subparagraph (B)— (I) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking ( 8 U.S.C. 1101 ( 8 U.S.C. 1101 (II) in clause (i), by inserting before permit such child to withdraw may (III) in clause (ii), by inserting before return such child shall (iv) in subparagraph (C)— (I) by amending the heading to read as follows: Agreements with foreign countries (II) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking The Secretary of State shall negotiate agreements between the United States and countries contiguous to the United States The Secretary of State may negotiate agreements between the United States and any foreign country that the Secretary determines appropriate (B) in paragraph (5)(D)— (i) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking , except for an unaccompanied alien child from a contiguous country subject to the exceptions under subsection (a)(2), who does not meet the criteria listed in paragraph (2)(A) (ii) in clause (i), by inserting before the semicolon at the end the following: , which shall include a hearing before an immigration judge not later than 14 days after being screened under paragraph (4) (2) in subsection (b)— (A) in paragraph (2)— (i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting before the semicolon the following: believed not to meet the criteria listed in subsection (a)(2)(A) (ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting before the period the following: and does not meet the criteria listed in subsection (a)(2)(A) (B) in paragraph (3), by striking an unaccompanied alien child in custody shall an unaccompanied alien child in custody— (A) in the case of a child who does not meet the criteria listed in subsection (a)(2)(A), shall transfer the custody of such child to the Secretary of Health and Human Services not later than 30 days after determining that such child is an unaccompanied alien child who does not meet such criteria; or (B) in the case of child who meets the criteria listed in subsection (a)(2)(A), may transfer the custody of such child to the Secretary of Health and Human Services after determining that such child is an unaccompanied alien child who meets such criteria. ; and (3) in subsection (c)— (A) in paragraph (3), by inserting at the end the following: (D) Information about individuals with whom children are placed (i) Information to be provided to Homeland Security Before placing a child with an individual, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall provide to the Secretary of Homeland Security, regarding the individual with whom the child will be placed, the following information: (I) The name of the individual. (II) The social security number of the individual. (III) The date of birth of the individual. (IV) The location of the individual’s residence where the child will be placed. (V) The immigration status of the individual, if known. (VI) Contact information for the individual. (ii) Special rule In the case of a child who was apprehended on or after June 15, 2012, and before the date of the enactment of the Protection of Children Act of 2017, who the Secretary of Health and Human Services placed with an individual, the Secretary shall provide the information listed in clause (i) to the Secretary of Homeland Security not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of the Protection of Children Act of 2017. (iii) Activities of the Secretary of Homeland Security Not later than 30 days after receiving the information listed in clause (i), the Secretary of Homeland Security shall— (I) in the case that the immigration status of an individual with whom a child is placed is unknown, investigate the immigration status of that individual; and (II) upon determining that an individual with whom a child is placed is unlawfully present in the United States, initiate removal proceedings pursuant to chapter 4 of title II of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1221 ; and (B) in paragraph (5)— (i) by inserting after to the greatest extent practicable (at no expense to the Government) (ii) by striking have counsel to represent them have access to counsel to represent them (b) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply to any unauthorized alien child apprehended on or after June 15, 2012. 3. Special immigrant juvenile status for immigrants unable to reunite with either parent Section 101(a)(27)(J)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)(J)(i) 1 or both of the immigrant’s parents either of the immigrant’s parents 4. Jurisdiction of asylum applications Section 208(b)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1158

Summary: Protection of Children Act of 2017 This bill amends the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to eliminate the special repatriation requirements for unaccompanied alien children (UAC) who are nationals or residents of a country contiguous to the United States. (The same removal requirements are applied to all UACs who are not victims of a severe form of trafficking in persons and who do not have a fear of returning to their country of nationality or last habitual residence.) An immigration officer who finds an inadmissible UAC at a land border or port of entry shall return the child to his or her country of nationality or of last habitual residence. (Currently such authority is discretionary.) The Department of State is authorized to negotiate agreements between the United States and other countries for the repatriation of children. (Under current law, State is required to negotiate agreements between the United States and countries contiguous to the United States for the repatriation of children.) An unaccompanied child who is not a victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons and who does not have a fear of returning to his or her country of nationality or last habitual residence but who is: in removal proceedings, shall have a hearing before an immigration judge within 14 days; in federal custody, shall be transferred to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) custody within 30 days; and in HHS or Department of Homeland Security (DHS) custody, shall have access to legal counsel at no cost to the government. HHS, before placing a child with an individual, shall provide DHS with the individual's name, Social Security number, date of birth, residence location, and immigration status, if known. DHS shall investigate the immigration status of the individual with whom the child is placed and initiate removal proceedings if that individual is unlawfully present in the United States. Such requirements are applied to any unauthorized child apprehended on or after June 15, 2012. The Immigration and Nationality Act is amended with respect to: (1) special immigrant juvenile status, and (2) jurisdiction of asylum applications.