# 119-s-4389: HELP Separated Children Act 119-s-4389, HELP Separated Children Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] (D-MN); status introduced (as of 2026-08-11). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4389 - As of: 2026-08-11 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-s-4389 - Congress: 119 - Title: HELP Separated Children Act - Status: introduced - Introduced: 2026-04-27 - Sponsor: Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] (D-MN) - Cosponsors: 17 - Policy area: Immigration - Touches household money: no - Last recorded action: 2026-08-11 ## Summary **Protecting children during immigration enforcement** is the core goal of the HELP Separated Children Act. It would create rules to prioritize the child’s best interests, keep families connected, and build oversight into Department of Homeland Security actions. - Families and children: Officials would have to identify a parent within 2 hours of an enforcement action and check parental status at every contact and at least 10 days before removal. Parents would get multiple phone calls, access to legal counsel and consular help, and services in their preferred language to arrange care. - Detained parents and custody: Decisions about detention, transfer, prosecution, or release must weigh the child’s best interests and favor placements near the child’s habitual residence to allow visitation. The bill also allows case-by-case parole for parents for hearings, medical emergencies, or funerals. - Agencies, training, and transparency: The law would require government-wide training on child protections and trauma. It mandates data collection and public reports every 180 days on parental status, detention outcomes, transfers, and distances to home communities, and it directs rulemaking within 180 days. ## Cosponsors (17) - Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] (D-WI), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV] (D-NV), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] (D-HI), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (D-MN), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] (D-WA), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV] (D-NV), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z ## Provisions PRIA read - New ICE child-welfare coordinator: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would require the Secretary to name a national ICE child-welfare coordinator and a local point of contact for every ICE facility and field office. The coordinator would collect data on who in custody is a parent, train staff, share information with facility contacts, and help p… - Protecting children during arrests and detention: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would require officers to ask and record parental status quickly — generally within 2 hours of an enforcement action, at every official interaction, and not less than 10 days before removal. Detained parents would get chances to make free phone and video calls, contact visits,… - Temporary reentry parole for parents: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would let the Secretary grant parole, case-by-case, to a parent who was previously removed so they can return for a pending family-court hearing (including termination proceedings), a child’s medical emergency, or a funeral. Each reentry would be discretionary and must meet one… - Mandatory training for DHS staff: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would require DHS, working with HHS and child-welfare experts, to develop training on the Act. Training would cover trauma-informed practices and signs of abuse or neglect. Current staff must get training within 180 days and annually after that. New hires must get training on d… - Rulemaking, reports, and legal protections: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would require the Secretary to write implementing regulations within 180 days of enactment. DHS would start collecting and publishing data about parents in custody every 180 days, with the first report due 180 days after enactment. The reports must protect personal information… ## Related bills - 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026 - 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act - 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026 - 119-s-1503: Equality Act - 119-s-852: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025 - 119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025 ## Sources - [119-s-4389 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4389) ## Related - [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066) - [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51) - [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108) - [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503) - [119-s-852: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-852) - [119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2150) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4389 (as of 2026-08-11).