ORR and DHS Information-Sharing Agreement and Its Consequences

12-18 In May 2018, ORR, ICE, and CBP entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) [1] mandating continuous information-sharing on unaccompanied immigrant children beginning when CBP or ICE takes them into custody through their release from ORR
custody. This includes information on the children’s potential sponsors (usually family members), as well as anyone else living with the sponsor. The MOA represents a dramatic change from past practice and is already resulting in severe consequences, including prolonged lengths of stay of children in federal custody, increased costs, family separation, and increased risk of abuse
or trafficking of vulnerable children. The following summarizes the MOA’s changes and their impact on children, families, and the U.S. taxpayer: Key Words: Privacy, data sharing