-
Original Date Announced
February 11, 2026KQED reports that on July 22, 2025, Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Acting Director Angie Salazar issued a directive to place all pregnant unaccompanied minors into a single shelter located in San Benito, Texas, which is located several hours from major cities where most of Texas's remaining specialized obstetric care is located. HHS officials state the placement is guided by child welfare best practices, but internal sources and former officials, including former ORR program head Jonathan White, characterize the move as a strategic effort to deny abortion access by concentrating pregnant UCs in a state that does not permit abortion.
According to KQED, "[s]ince late July, more than a dozen pregnant minors have been placed at the Texas facility . . . . Some were as young as 13, and at least half of those taken in so far became pregnant as a result of rape, sources said. Their pregnancies are considered high risk by definition, particularly for the youngest girls." This action marks a departure from previous federal practices that distributed pregnant minors among various facilities nationally equipped for high-risk obstetric care. Additionally, the agency has moved to rescind existing regulations that require at 45 CFR 410.1307 that pregnant minors be transferred to facilities where healthcare needs (including abortion services) can be met (or, in the alternative, have necessary transportation to access such services, including where that involves transportation across State lines and where "Federal appropriations law prevents ORR from paying for the medical care itself."
Trump 2.0 [ID #2201]
Reported 2026.02.11: KQED - Trump Administration Sends Pregnant Unaccompanied Minors to Texas Shelter Flagged as Medically InadequateEffective Date
July 22, 2025Current Status
NoneOriginal Trump Policy Status
Status: Reported Final/ActualTrump Administration Actions: Agency Directive Change in PracticeAgencies Affected: ORRAssociated or Derivative Policies
To provide information, corrections, or feedback, please email IPTP.feedback@gmail.com