The Trump administration is going to make it easier for unaccompanied migrant children to be placed with sponsors. The Department of Health and Human Services is eliminating its fingerprinting requirement for the households of potential sponsors.
The move could allow the release of thousands of kids who have been in government custody for months.
Previously, HHS required all adults in the household to get fingerprinted when a person applied to sponsor unaccompanied children. That information was then shared with ICE — and it led to the arrests of some 170 people for immigration violations.
Some potential sponsors have said others in their household refused to get fingerprinted, so they couldn't take in migrant children and get them out of government custody.
The fingerprint requirement has been in place since June.
But starting immediately, only the person applying to host the migrant children will be fingerprinted and face a background check.
Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.
