Feds launch bilingual hotline for parents of migrant children
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The federal government has started a bilingual hotline for parents trying to find out if their children were detained trying to migrate to the United States.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement started the hotline Thursday amid a surge in the number of Central American children arriving at the border in Texas. The hotline is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST.
Migrant children detained at the border are transferred to shelters until they can be reunited with a relative or other sponsor. The children will also be put into deportation proceedings in immigration court.
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The office is trying to expedite the release of children to parents to free up bed space. Officials decided, however, to resume requiring fingerprint checks from non-parental sponsors amid advocates' concerns about the children's safety.