washington u.s. immigration enforcement officer propose fingerprint take people claim custody children enter unite state illegally without adult relative measure opponents say could keep thousands families apart new wave unaccompanied central american children pour across u.s.-mexico border proposal underscore sometimes conflict goals federal agencies deal undocumented immigrants volatile issue presidential campaign trail officials u.s. department health human service hhs ultimately responsible find house migrant children tell reuters plan change fingerprint policy say proposal make u.s. immigration customs enforcement ice officials internal memo see reuters would delay family reunions infringe upon parent-child relationship one goals place children appropriate sponsor promptly safely delay place child parent time keep parent child separate say bobbie gregg deputy director children service hhs office refugee resettlement memo ice officials draft response february senate hear propose expand fingerprint limit non-parents include parent ice say would allow fingerprint check fbi database criminals verify identities people say parent ensure children go parent criminal histories proposal preliminary could change unclear whether would ultimately win back white house department homeland security dhs oversee ice justice department advise hhs practice role enforce overall immigration policy white house decline comment proposal ask document describe fingerprint proposal homeland security spokeswoman say agency discuss internal deliberations neither ice hhs would comment whether discussions proposal january 2014 april 2015 31,000 parent claim children enter unite state el salvador guatemala honduras accord study government accountability office gao congressional watchdog unit make 60 percent claim children rest claim relatives 161 non-relative sponsor claim children u.s. authorities require find house illegal immigrant minors await trial determine whether deport process take years current law people appear child migrant hold facilities say parent must show child birth certificate prove relationship available parent child must undergo dna test immigration advocate say ice proposal would discourage parent send children claim fear ice would use fingerprint trace undocumented immigrants possible deportation could keep parent away children think go land lock-up somewhere say david leopold cleveland lawyer formerly head american immigration lawyers association ice officials also say memo agency support expand immigration-status check sponsor include parent ice acknowledge conduct immigration check parent claim children could reduce likelihood sponsor would come forward take custody children illegal entry unite state unaccompanied minors surge recent years central american children make dangerous journey across mexico u.s. border without parent flee poverty violence six months march 2016 almost 28,000 unaccompanied children apprehend cross unite state close record-high number hit period 2014 graphic unaccompanied minor cross relationships sponsor tmsnrt.rs/1nmgqqi investigation associate press january find hhs place migrant children home sexually assault starve force labor pay none know abusers claim parent senate panel february ask authorities improve screen adults claim custody child migrants document ice draft answer question senate judiciary chairman charles grassley submit record follow hear ap investigation hhs say begin 30-day follow-up check households assign child also give emergency hotline phone number children discharge hhs custody ice response grassley say hhs go step note many state local child protective service agencies routinely fingerprint parent reclaim children periods separation exclusive u.s. agencies split fingerprint parent child immigrants