[Federal Register: April 28, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 80)]
[Notices]
[Page 19232-19233]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28ap09-77]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Statement of Organization, Functions and Delegation of Authority
Notice is hereby given that I delegate to the Director of the
Office of Refugee Resettlement the following authority delegated to the
Assistant Secretary for Children and Families by the Secretary of the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the William
Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008,
Public Law 110-457, section 235.
(a) Authority Delegated
1. Authority under the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 section 235(a)(1) to work in
conjunction with the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of
State, and the Attorney General, to develop policies and procedures to
ensure that unaccompanied alien children (UAC) are safely repatriated
to their country of nationality or of last habitual residence.
2. Authority under the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 section 235(a)(5)(A) to work in
conjunction with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland
Security, nongovernmental organizations, and other national and
international agencies and experts, to create a pilot program to
develop and implement best practices for the repatriation and
reintegration of UAC.
3. Authority under the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 section 235(b)(1) to provide
care and custody of all UAC, except as otherwise provided under section
235(a), including responsibility for their detention, where
appropriate.
4. Authority under the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 section 235(b)(4) to develop age
determination procedures in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland
Security.
5. Authority under the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 section 235(c)(1) to establish
policies and programs to ensure that UAC are protected from traffickers
and other persons seeking to victimize or otherwise engage such
children in criminal, harmful or exploitative activity.
6. Authority under the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 section 235(c)(2) to place an
unaccompanied alien child in the least restrictive setting that is in
the best interest of the child. In making such placements, personnel in
the Administration for Children and Families may consider danger to
self, danger to the community, and risk of flight. Concerning
placements in a secure facility, the personnel in the Administration
for Children and Families shall review the placements, at a minimum, on
a monthly basis to determine if such placements remain warranted.
Placement of child trafficking victims may include placement in an
Unaccompanied Refugee Minor (URM) program, pursuant to section 412(d)
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1522(d)).
7. Authority under the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 section 235(c)(3)(A) to place an
unaccompanied alien child with a custodian upon determining that the
proposed custodian is capable of providing for the child's physical and
mental well-being. Such determination shall, at a minimum, include
verification of the custodian's identity and relationship to the child
and an independent finding that the custodian has not engaged in any
activity that would pose a potential risk to the child.
8. Authority under the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 section 235(c)(3)(B) to conduct
a home study for a child who is a victim of a severe form of
trafficking in persons, a special needs child with a disability, a
child who has been a victim of physical or sexual abuse under
circumstances that indicate that the child's health or welfare has been
significantly harmed or threatened, or a child whose proposed sponsor
clearly presents a risk of abuse, maltreatment, exploitation, or
trafficking to the child based on all available objective evidence.
9. Authority under the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 section 235(c)(3)(B) to conduct
follow-
[[Page 19233]]
up services, during the pendency of removal proceedings, on children
for whom a home study was conducted, and to conduct follow-up services
for those UAC with mental health or other needs.
10. Authority under the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 section 235(c)(4) to cooperate
with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) to ensure that
custodians of UAC receive legal orientation presentations through the
Legal Orientation Program administered by EOIR.
11. Authority under the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 section 235(c)(5) to ensure, to
the greatest extent practicable and consistent with section 292 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1362), that UAC who are or
have been in the custody of the Secretary or the Secretary of Homeland
Security, and who are not described in section 235(a)(2)(A), have
counsel. To the greatest extent practicable, personnel in the
Administration for Children and Families shall make every effort to use
the services of pro bono counsel who agree to provide representation to
such UAC without charge.
12. Authority under the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 section 235(c)(6) to appoint
independent child advocates for child trafficking victims or other
vulnerable UAC.
13. Authority under the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 section 235(d)(1) to
specifically consent to juvenile court jurisdiction for an
unaccompanied alien child who is applying for special immigrant status
pursuant to section 101(a)(27)(J) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)(J)) and who is in the custody of the
Secretary.
14. Authority under the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 section 235(d)(4)(A) to make
eligible for placement and services under a URM program pursuant to
section 412(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1522(d)) children granted special immigrant status under section
101(a)(27)(J) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1101(a)(27)(J)) and who were either in the custody of the Secretary or
who were receiving services pursuant to section 501(a) of the Refugee
Education Assistance Act of 1980 (8 U.S.C. 1522 note) at the time a
dependency order was granted.
15. Authority under the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 section 235(e) to train Federal
personnel, and upon request, State and local personnel, who have
substantive contact with UAC.
(b) Limitations
1. This delegation shall be exercised under the Department's
existing delegation of authority and policy on regulations.
2. This delegation shall be exercised under financial and
administrative requirements applicable to all Administration for
Children and Families authorities.
(c) Effective Date
This delegation of authority is effective on date of signature.
In addition, I hereby affirm and ratify any actions taken by the
Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which, in effect,
involved the exercise of these authorities prior to the effective date
of this delegation.
Dated: April 1, 2009.
Curtis L. Coy,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Children and Families.
[FR Doc. E9-9692 Filed 4-27-09; 8:45 am]
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