The U.S. government has reportedly been using off-the-book shelters to detain unaccompanied immigrant children


The Office of Refugee Resettlement is reportedly holding several unaccompanied minors in off-the-book shelters throughout the United States, an investigation by Reveal found.
The total number of sites is unknown, but Reveal reports that there are at least five such shelters in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. They are holding at least 16 boys and girls after they were transferred from known refugee shelters. The shelters reportedly specialize in caring for children with mental health and behavior challenges.
The federal government has not made the existence of the shelters public "or even disclosed them to the minors' own attorneys in a landmark class action case," writes Reveal.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Holly Cooper, an attorney who represents the class of unaccompanied minors in the agency's care, said the government did not report every minor's location and believes the ORR continues to withhold information about other locations.
The ORR's standards do allow for out-of-network transfers if the federal facilities cannot provide specialized services. But failing to provide both attorneys for the detained children and a detailed census of the minors in custody appears to violate "longstanding rules for the care of immigrant children," such as the Flores Agreement. Former ORR Director Robert Carey said there was no such arrangement for migrant children in 2015 and 2016, as far as he knew.
The ORR has not yet commented on Reveal's report, though the office did acknowledge the request. Read the full report at Reveal.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Supreme Court upholds 'ghost gun' restrictions
Speed Read Ghost guns can be regulated like other firearms
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sets 25% tariffs on auto imports
Speed Read The White House says the move will increase domestic manufacturing. But the steep import taxes could also harm the US auto industry.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump allies urge White House to admit chat blunder
Speed Read Even pro-Trump figures are criticizing The White House's handling of the Signal scandal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Waltz takes blame for texts amid calls for Hegseth ouster
Speed Read Democrats are calling for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and national security adviser Michael Waltz to step down
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judge: Nazis treated better than Trump deportees
speed read U.S. District Judge James Boasberg reaffirmed his order barring President Donald Trump from deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US officials share war plans with journalist in group chat
Speed Read Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg was accidentally added to a Signal conversation about striking Yemen
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Canada's Mark Carney calls snap election
speed read Voters will go to the polls on April 28 to pick a new government
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Musk set to earn billions from Trump administration
Speed Read Musk's company SpaceX will receive billions in federal government contracts in the coming years
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published