Head of Immigration Shelters Under Fire: 'Abortion Policy is Under Review'

The head of the federal government's Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) tells CBN News the agency is reviewing how it cares for pregnant unaccompanied minors in its shelters.

Director Scott Lloyd said "we're taking a look at our policy to see if any changes are needed."

Liberals have been attacking Lloyd for weeks, rallying around "Jane Doe"--an unaccompanied minor at an ORR shelter who faced resistance trying to get an abortion and finally received one after a month-long legal battle.

The ACLU said in a court filing that the ORR prevented its client, "Jane Doe," from accessing an abortion by refusing to transport her or allowing anyone else to do so. It also claimed that the agency forced her to visit a "religious, anti-abortion crisis pregnancy center" and told her mother about her pregnancy over her objections.

Lloyd told CBN News that he could not discuss the the "Jane Doe" case but emphasized that the ORR is committed to giving unaccompanied pregnant minors in its care "all the information that she needs about what she might be contemplating and about her pregnancy."

Lloyd says the agency seeks to include minors' family from their country of origin in the discussion and also emphasized that the agency is committed to insulating taxpayers "from being involved in the destruction of life."

Many on the Left are accusing Lloyd of using the ORR to advance a pro-life agenda. Even the Wall Street Journal portrayed Lloyd as a crusader in a recent piece. It cited court filings and administration officials who say Lloyd "has repeatedly phoned or met with pregnant girls to discourage abortion since he began his post in March."

Lloyd didn't comment on the Journal report but told CBN that the number of pregnant teens in ORR shelters is "a tiny minority." He added "for the most part the question of termination isn't really coming up. It's minors who are pregnant and seeking to continue their pregnancy and we continue them with all the care that they need to do so."

Lloyd didn't directly address an HHS statement released earlier that said there is "no constitutional right for a pregnant minor to illegally cross the U.S. border and get an elective abortion while in federal custody."

Lloyd did emphasize that minors in custody have limited access to constitutional rights. "They're in a situation where they're not in a position to exercise fully whatever rights they might have," he said.

He used an analogy to explain how he views the rights of minors in his care. "If somebody asked me to take them down to the gunshop, whether they have a constitutional right to it or not the program is going to deny them that request and I think we're free to do so," he said.

The ACLU is currently suing the ORR, saying its abortion policy is unconstitutional.

Lloyd is known for his strong pro-life views. Prior to becoming director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement he worked for the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic group that opposes abortion.