Q&A
ACS's protocol for age identification of young immigrants
2:43:17
·
173 sec
Council Member Althea Stevens inquires about ACS's age identification protocol for young immigrants. Stephanie Gendell explains that it's a new protocol developed in response to conflicting information about immigrants' ages. The protocol involves centralized handling through the Office of Special Investigation, trauma-informed interviews, and legal consultations when necessary.
- The protocol was developed to address cases where individuals initially claimed to be adults but later stated they were minors.
- ACS uses a trauma-informed approach when interviewing young people about their age.
- The protocol is not widely distributed but can be shared with legal service providers and council members upon request.
Althea Stevens
2:43:17
Thank you.
2:43:18
So I have a a number of questions.
2:43:21
I just wanted to go back to ACS.
2:43:23
Stephanie, when you were speaking before, you mentioned a age identification policy that ACS has.
2:43:29
Can you share that share with us what that policy is?
Stephanie Gendell
2:43:33
Sure.
2:43:33
It's more of a protocol and not a policy.
2:43:37
And just to take a step back, most young people who are referred to ACS through any manner are indeed young people.
2:43:46
The only reason we have a protocol is to this new issue that we faced where young people were coming to the United States and presenting to another government agency and usually federal government through ORR or people at the border that they were an adult.
2:44:07
It is only then later that they're saying they're a child.
2:44:11
So we were presented with conflicting information about whether the young person was indeed a child or an adult that was a very new issue for ACS.
2:44:20
As a result, this summer, we now do have a protocol in place.
2:44:24
All of these cases will go to what's called the office of special investigation as opposed to out to the 5 boroughs.
2:44:32
The office of special investigation is a division of child protection.
2:44:36
Office that works they handle all of the destitute minor cases regardless of whether it's through this process we're talking about here.
2:44:45
So we thought that would be a good place for them to go.
2:44:47
It's all centralized through OSI.
2:44:50
Panina is the supervisor of the burrow on the on the legal side that brings those destitute minor petitions in court.
2:45:01
The child protection team is then supposed to talked to the young person in a trauma informed way.
2:45:08
They're trained by my ISLE team who's also here today about the how the trauma that young people and really anybody who has come from the over through the border has faced and what that's like.
2:45:21
And they are supposed to try to resolve based on documentation, interviews, whether or not it is indeed a young person.
2:45:29
And if they are a child that and they seem to meet the definition of destitute, we would have a legal consult with Kanina and her team, which she could talk about to bring a case in family court.
Althea Stevens
2:45:42
Okay.
2:45:43
And so because it I mean, like you said, it's not a policy.
2:45:46
It's kind of some stuff that you guys are putting together.
2:45:49
But how do you share that with, like, providers and folks?
2:45:52
Because I think there's some disconnect from people even, like, knownness and and even us on the counsel side.
Stephanie Gendell
2:45:58
Sure.
2:45:59
I I have a hard copy, but I'd be happy to shared as an email after this hearing.
2:46:03
I believe most of the legal service providers working with these young people have it, but I can make sure they have
Althea Stevens
2:46:09
it.