Protecting UACs Through Enhanced Sponsor Vetting Act of 2017

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlements of the Department of Health and Human Services to establish additional procedures for making placement determinations for all unaccompanied alien children who are in Federal custody by reason of their immigration status, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Protecting UACs Through Enhanced Sponsor Vetting Act of 2017 2. Additional procedures for placement decisions for unaccompanied alien children Section 462 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 ( 6 U.S.C. 279 (1) in subsection (b)(1)— (A) in subparagraph (K), by striking ; and (B) in subparagraph (L), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (M) providing notification of the prospective placement of an unaccompanied alien child with a sponsor to the Governor of the State and the chief executive of the county in which the sponsor resides. ; (2) in subsection (b)(2), by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows: (A) shall coordinate with appropriate juvenile justice professionals, the Director of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Border Security, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and appropriate State and local law enforcement officials to ensure that such determinations ensure that unaccompanied alien children described in such subparagraph— (i) are likely to appear for all hearings or proceedings in which they are involved; (ii) are protected from smugglers, traffickers, members of a designated trans­na­tion­al criminal organization, or others who might seek to victimize or otherwise engage them in criminal, harmful, or exploitive activity, including by conducting a thorough criminal history background check utilizing the Next Generation Identification System or its successor system on prospective sponsors; (iii) are placed in a setting in which they are not likely to pose a danger to themselves or others; and ; (3) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (h) and— (A) in paragraph (1) of such subsection, by striking and (B) in paragraph (2) of such subsection, by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (3) the term transnational criminal organization ; and (4) by inserting after subsection (f) the following: (g) Additional procedures for making placement determinations (1) Criminal records checks The Director shall coordinate with the Attorney General to conduct a thorough criminal history background check utilizing the Next Generation Identification System or its successor system for all prospective sponsors before placement of an unaccompanied alien child. (2) Consultation with relevant law enforcement entities The Director shall consult with relevant law enforcement entities, including Federal, State, and local law enforcement, prior to making a determination on whether it is appropriate to place an unaccompanied alien child with a prospective sponsor. This consultation will examine any criminal activity in which the prospective sponsor may have been, or is currently, involved. (3) Notification to State and local governments The Director shall notify relevant State and local governments of the decision to place an unaccompanied alien child with a sponsor. This notification will include the Governor of the state where the sponsor resides, as well as the mayor or equivalent officeholder of the locality where the sponsor resides. (4) Transnational criminal organization intelligence sharing The Director shall provide to the Terrorist Screening Center information uncovered during the placement process of an unaccompanied alien child that establishes membership in, or affiliation with, a designated transnational criminal organization of either an unaccompanied alien child or a prospective sponsor. .

Summary: Protecting UACs Through Enhanced Sponsor Vetting Act of 2017 This bill establishes additional sponsor vetting requirements for placement of unaccompanied alien children (UACs) who are in federal custody because of their immigration status. UACs are children under the age of 18 with no lawful immigration status who either have no parent or legal guardian in the United States, or have no parent or legal guardian in the United States available to provide care and physical custody. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended to require the Department of Health and Human Service's Office of Refugee Resettlement, as part of its UAC placement determinations, to: notify the governor and the chief executive of the county in which a sponsor resides of a prospective placement; include the Federal Bureau of Investigation and state and local law enforcement officials in consultations regarding UAC adherence to hearing requirements and safety from criminal or exploitive elements, including protection from members of a transnational criminal organization. Prior to making a placement determination the office shall: coordinate with the Department of Justice to use the Next Generation Identification System to check the criminal background of prospective sponsors; and consult with federal, state, and local law enforcement entities. The office shall also: notify state and local governments of a placement determination, including notifying the governor and mayor of the locality in which the sponsor resides; and provide the Terrorist Screening Center with any information uncovered during the placement process that establishes the child's or sponsor's membership or affiliation with a transnational criminal organization.