A Democratic bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The PROKID Act establishes the Office of the Ombudsperson for Immigrant Children in Immigration Custody within the Department of Health and Human Services. This office is tasked with monitoring facilities, investigating claims of abuse or neglect, and advocating for the safe and efficient release of immigrant children. The Ombudsperson will have the authority to conduct site visits, issue subpoenas, and provide individual case assistance. To support these duties, the bill creates an expert advisory committee to assist with fact-finding and monitoring. Additionally, the act requires the development of a data collection system to track trends in custody and release. Finally, the bill mandates coordination between the Ombudsperson and the Department of Homeland Security through a memorandum of understanding.
Yes· 3 of 8
- Scored +9
Would children be better off under this?
The bill establishes an Ombudsperson to monitor facilities and investigate reports of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment of children in custody.
- Scored +8
Would immigrants be better off under this?
The bill creates a dedicated office to advocate for the safe, efficient release and protection of immigrant children in custody.
- Scored +7
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill requires the public publication of monthly data regarding the custody and release of immigrant children.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Advocacy for Release: The Office of the Ombudsperson is required to advocate for the quick, safe, and efficient release of immigrant children from detention or immigration custody whenever possible (Section 3(a)(2)(B)).
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Protection of Family Units: For children held in Department of Homeland Security custody with their families, the office must advocate for the concurrent release of the child and the parent or legal guardian within 72 hours of apprehension (Section 3(a)(2)(C)).
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Monitoring for Safety and Compliance: The Ombudsperson is tasked with monitoring facilities to ensure compliance with federal and state laws, including the Flores settlement agreement and the Prison Rape Elimination Act (Section 3(c)(3)(A)(i)).
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Investigation of Mistreatment: The office has the duty to investigate reports of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment of immigrant children by the government or other entities (Section 3(c)(3)(B)(i)).
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Individual Case Assistance: The Ombudsperson may offer assistance on specific cases that are long-pending or require expedited processing or elevated attention (Section 3(c)(3)(F)(i)).
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Increased Transparency via Data: The bill requires a data collection system to track the number of children in custody, the time they remain in custody, and the median time-to-release, which is then made available to the public (Section 4(b)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Subpoena Power Restrictions: While the Ombudsperson has subpoena authority, this power is subject to the approval of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Section 3(c)(3)(G)(i)).
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Information Sharing Limitations: Under the memorandum of understanding with the Department of Homeland Security, the Ombudsperson may only share information with the Secretary of Homeland Security on a case-by-case basis and only with the informed consent of the immigrant child (Section 6(a)(3)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would children be better off under this? — The bill establishes an Ombudsperson to monitor facilities and investigate reports of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment of children in custody. Would immigrants be better off under this? — The bill creates a dedicated office to advocate for the safe, efficient release and protection of immigrant children in custody. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — The bill provides increased protections and oversight for immigrant children, a demographic that includes many Hispanic Americans. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill provides protections and advocacy for immigrant children who are often part of low-income families.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires the public publication of monthly data regarding the custody and release of immigrant children.
- Healthcare
- Does this make mental health care easier to get? — The bill mandates that the expert advisory committee assess the delivery of and access to mental health care services for immigrant children.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this tighten control of the border? — The bill enhances oversight of facilities where immigrants are held near the border through the Office of the Ombudsperson. Does this make child care cost less? — The bill advocates for the quick and efficient release of children from custody to foster stability.
- 7/23/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/22/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in Senate
Richard DurbinDemocrat · Illinois