House Judiciary Committee advances Kayla Hamilton Act to tighten screening for unaccompanied children

The House Judiciary Committee on Friday approved HR 4371, the Kayla Hamilton Act, moving the bill out of committee after debate and amendments. The bill would change placement and screening procedures for unaccompanied alien children (UACs) in federal custody, including expanded checks for criminal history and gang affiliation for UACs aged 12 and older.

Sponsor Representative Jeff Fry of South Carolina opened the markup by describing the bill as a response to the 2022 murder of Kayla Hamilton in Maryland. Fry said the legislation would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to assess UACs for flight risk, criminal history and, for children 12 or older, gang affiliation, and would bar placements until required background checks—such as state sex-offender and FBI fingerprint checks—are returned. Fry said children who meet specified risk factors would be placed in secure facilities while immigration proceedings proceed.

Ranking Member Representative Jamie Raskin criticized parts of the measure, calling some provisions ‘‘overbroad’’ and expressing…