Immigration across the country

The For Our Republic Act proposes sweeping reforms to federal civil service, immigration enforcement, and government ethics, with a significant focus on protecting noncitizen children in U.S. custody. The bill mandates that unaccompanied children be placed in family-like settings such as foster care rather than large congregate facilities, prohibits the separation of children from their parents or relatives except in cases of imminent danger, and requires the provision of government-funded legal representation for all detained minors. It also restricts immigration enforcement agencies from using biometric surveillance technology like facial recognition and establishes a new independent Ombudsperson to monitor compliance with child welfare standards. Additionally, the legislation strengthens protections for federal inspectors general, bans racial profiling by law enforcement, and introduces various measures to increase transparency and accountability within the executive branch.

The PROKID Act establishes an independent Office of the Ombudsperson within the Department of Health and Human Services to protect immigrant children in government custody. This new office would have the authority to conduct regular unannounced site visits, investigate complaints of abuse or neglect, and advocate for the quickest possible release of detained children. To support these efforts, the bill requires the government to share real-time data on child locations and custody details with the ombudsperson while strictly prohibiting the use of this information for immigration enforcement. Additionally, the act creates an expert advisory committee to review facility compliance and mandates that the government publish monthly statistics on the number and length of time children are held in detention.