Upholding Protections for Unaccompanied Children Act of 2025

This legislation, titled the "Upholding Protections for Unaccompanied Children Act of 2025," aims to amend the prior "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" to reverse provisions that undermine safeguards for unaccompanied children. The bill's findings highlight the extreme vulnerability of these children, often fleeing violence, and assert that the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" erected barriers to existing protections, weakening due process and increasing their risk of exploitation. It emphasizes the importance of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (TVPRA) in ensuring child-sensitive procedures and humanitarian relief. A central provision of this bill is the exemption of unaccompanied children from various immigration-related fees, including those for asylum applications, employment authorization documents, and immigration court proceedings. It specifically repeals the Special Immigrant Juvenile Fee , ensuring no financial barrier for this critical status. Additionally, the legislation repeals provisions that allowed for potentially intrusive body examinations by federal agencies, which were criticized for lacking safeguards and risking retraumatization. To further protect unaccompanied children and their families, the bill establishes a clear limitation on information sharing. It prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from sharing sponsor information with the Department of Homeland Security or other federal agencies for immigration enforcement purposes. Finally, the Act mandates that the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General refund any fees paid under the repealed or amended provisions within 180 days of its enactment, reinforcing the commitment to removing financial burdens on these vulnerable individuals.