A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the President of the United States must immediately establish an interagency Office for Locating and Reuniting Children with Parents in order to protect separated children from suffering additional trauma resulting from the "Zero Tolerance" policy.

Bill: 115-sres-566
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
Introduced: 2018-06-28
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Border security and unlawful immigration

Child safety and welfare

Department of Health and Human Services

Department of Homeland Security

Department of Justice

Detention of persons

Executive agency funding and structure

Family relationships

Immigration status and procedures
Latest action: action_date: 2018-06-28
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S4745)

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-06-28
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Health and Human Services must immediately establish an interagency Office for Locating and Reuniting Children with Parents.</p>

tv_txt: III 115th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 566 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 28, 2018 Mr. Merkley (for himself, Mr. Van Hollen , Mr. Peters , Mr. Casey , Ms. Hassan , and Mr. Carper ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the Senate that the President of the United States must immediately establish an interagency Office for Locating and Reuniting Children with Parents in order to protect separated children from suffering additional trauma resulting from the Zero Tolerance policy.

Whereas families belong together, and innocent children must be quickly and safely reunited with their parents who are seeking asylum; Whereas children and parents are separated between 3 different Federal agencies and remain in an indefinite logistical chaos partly due to inadequate interagency communication; and Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services has currently identified 2,047 children in the Department's custody as a result of being taken away from their parents: Now, therefore, be it

That it is the sense of the Senate that— (1) the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services must immediately establish an interagency Office for Locating and Reuniting Children with Parents; (2) the Secretary of Health and Human Services must appoint a Director for the Office to ensure the successful and safe reunification of children with their parents; and (3) the Office must move with extraordinary speed and urgency to safely reunify children with their parents.