Gallego Backs Bills to Protect Vulnerable Immigrant Youth

WASHINGTON – Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ)backed two bills to protect immigrant youth, including unaccompanied children and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) recipients from harmful policies that subject them to hefty asylum fees and put them in years of legal limbo.
“If we’re a country that values families, then we shouldn’t be subjecting children to extra fines or forcing them to jump through hoops just to find safety,”said Senator Gallego.“That’s why I’m supporting these bills to protect unaccompanied youth escaping trafficking and abuse from the cruel provisions in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill and help them move faster toward permanent legal status. The safety and well-being of children should always come first.”
TheUpholding Protections for Unaccompanied Children Actwould reverse provisions in H.R. 1—the One Big Beautiful Bill—that harm unaccompanied children who are seeking safety from trafficking, abuse, and exploitation in their home countries.
Specifically, the bill would:
TheProtect Vulnerable Immigrant Youth Actwould exempt SIJS recipients from employment-based visa caps and ensure faster, permanent protection for eligible children.
Specifically, the bill would:
Senator Gallego has consistently stood up for immigrant youth, including Dreamers, in the Senate: