June 21, 2018

Today Representative Dina Titus of Nevada’s First Congressional District sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar regarding the impacts of President Trump’s zero tolerance policy on immigrants and children being transferred to facilities in Nevada and other states. The letter seeks answers regarding the number of children in the government’s care in Nevada, where such children are being housed and their countries of origin, the placement of these children with sponsors or in the foster care system, and plans to reunite any children with family members as a result of the changing policies of this administration.

“We need to know if any of these children are in Nevada so we can track their circumstances and help reunite them with their families.” said Representative Dina Titus.

The text of the letter follows:
 

The Honorable Alex M. Azar II                                 

Secretary                                                                          

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services       

330 C Street SW                                                        

Washington, D.C. 20416                                            

Dear Secretary Azar,

I am writing to inquire about an issue of paramount concern to me and my constituents. I have received hundreds of messages in the last few weeks regarding the status of unaccompanied minors and children torn from their parents by the United States Government. Recent reports have documented that children are being shipped to facilities and entered into foster care systems in approximately 20 states. I ask for an immediate response to the following questions:

• Is the Office of Refugee Resettlement housing children at facilities in the State of Nevada?

• If so, where are these facilities, how many children are being housed, and what are the children’s countries of origin?

• Has the Office of Refugee Resettlement sent children to the State of Nevada since the implementation of the Administration’s “zero tolerance” policy?

• If so, where, how many, and what are their countries of origin?

• How many children have been placed with a sponsor or into foster care in Nevada in the last 12 months? Please provide a monthly breakdown of this data.

• Are any of these children unaccounted for?

• In light of the executive order signed yesterday by President Trump, how will the Administration go about reuniting any children held in Nevada with their families?

I request a response to this inquiry by Thursday, June 28, 2018. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Dina Titus

Member of Congress