The Protection of Kids in Immigrant Detention Act (PROKID Act) establishes a new independent Office of the Ombudsperson for Immigrant Children in Immigration Custody within the Department of Health and Human Services to oversee how immigrant children are treated while detained. The ombudsperson, who must have experience in immigration law and child advocacy, will monitor all facilities holding immigrant children, conduct investigations into complaints of abuse or neglect, and ensure compliance with the Flores settlement agreement and other federal child welfare standards. The ombudsperson will have broad authority to conduct unannounced facility visits, issue subpoenas, meet confidentially with detainees, and establish regional offices to address local issues. The bill requires the Office of Refugee Resettlement to publish detailed monthly data about detained children online, create an advisory committee of experts in child welfare and health care to help monitor conditions, and establish a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate oversight efforts. The ombudsperson must submit annual reports to Congress on accomplishments and challenges, and the Government Accountability Office will evaluate the coordination efforts after two years. The bill does not specify new funding amounts or implementation timelines beyond requiring the advisory committee to be established within 90 days of enactment.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.