As of the date of this publication, unaccompanied youth in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) are entitled to sexual and reproductive health care such as abortion care and contraception. Under ORR’s policies and federal regulations, ORR is obligated to ensure unaccompanied youth have access to the care they need, regardless of the state in which they are placed or the religious beliefs of a youth’s care provider.

Youths’ rights to sexual and reproductive health care stem from federal and state laws, regulations, and policies. The main sources discussed in this guide are federal regulations governing ORR (45 C.F.R. § 410.1000 et seq.; id. § 411.5 et seq.) and ORR policies.

This resource explains the sexual and reproductive health care rights that youth in ORR custody are currently entitled to. However, NCYL anticipates that the Trump administration will quickly change ORR policies regarding sexual and reproductive health and may attempt to rescind the ORR Foundational Rule (45 C.F.R. § 410.1000 et seq.). We will update this resource accordingly as those changes unfold.

This page is designed to provide information to you so that you may determine what rights your clients may have and to connect you to relevant resources. This page does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice of any kind, including in a particular case.