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fandomtrumpshateImmigration has been a hot topic throughout Trump’s election campaign as well as during the first 2 years of his administration. A large spike in arrivals at the US/Mexico border during 2014 sparked a political crisis as a record of 69,000 children and 68,000 families arrived at the border. The number of unaccompanied children and family units apprehended decreased in the 2015 financial year, but the US Border Patrol apprehended 20,455 unaccompanied children and 24,616 family units between October 2015–January 2016. This represents approximately half of the totals of the entire 2015 financial year, leading to the assumption that rather than a one-time surge, the increased levels of immigration would continue.(1)
While the Wall and the separation of families have made headlines, the administration has also sought to nullify the protections afforded to unaccompanied minors that immigrate into the US. In September 2018, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a proposal that would allow the US government to hold minors in detention so long as their immigration case remains open, instead of a maximum of 20 days.(2) The proposed regulations would invalidate the Flores Settlement Agreement, a decree that has stipulated the treatment of detained underage migrants since 1997. The regulations would also deprive unaccompanied minors of special protections under the law. Over the past two fiscal years, more than 40%of unaccompanied minors were released to their parents, according to HHS. Should the proposal pass, rights such as seeking asylum before a trained asylum officer instead of in the more adversarial immigration courts would be stripped if an unaccompanied minor travelled to the US to join parents already in the country.(3)
The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights (The Young Center) champions the rights of unaccompanied immigrant children and serves their best interests, ensuring their safety to the extent of its capacity. Advocating for the safety and well-being of each child throughout the detainment and deportation process, The Young Center aims to create an immigration system that serves children and advocates for immigration proceedings to take best interest into account when decisions are made, with due regard to the child’s expressed wishes.(4) (5)
The Young Center, guided by the principals of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, operates on three main fronts. Its attorneys, social workers and bilingual volunteers are appointed as Child Advocate (guardian ad litem) by the Department of Health and Human Services. These independent advocates ensure that children’s best interests are recognised throughout legal proceedings and give recommendations based on state and international law to government decision makers including judges, asylum officers and enforcement officials. This direct service is combined with efforts to implement a Best Interests Framework, which incorporates best interests considerations in the absence of a standard in immigration law and reminds decision makers of their discretion to consider best interests. Lastly, The Young Center seeks to preserve the existing protections, recently focussing on those set forth in the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), which was up for reauthorization in 2017 and enacted on January 9th 2019. (6) (7) Given the political climate, The Young Center believes that it is crucial to safeguard existing laws, policies and practice that provides unaccompanied immigrant children with protections such as access to attorneys and Child Advocates, family reunification and access to a court hearing.(8)
The Young Center was founded in Chicago in 2004, given funding from the Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement and charged with developing a programme to advocate for the best interests of unaccompanied immigrant children which recognised their status as children. In 2008, Congress passed the TVPRA. which included a provision for the appointment of Child Advocates whose role is to advocate for the child’s best interests. The Young Center continued its work, opening up additional offices and advocating for the expansion of the Child Advocate programme, which came to fruition with a 2013 Congress amendment to the TVPRA. During the Trump administration, The Young Center has focused its efforts on safeguarding hard-earned protections for immigrant children and responding to the implementation of changes to federal policy outlined in the January Executive Orders and directives issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Young Center has so far assigned Child Advocates for more than 2500 children, and has a total of eight locations across the US.(5) (8)
The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights is a tax deductible 501(c)3 charitable organisation.
Citations:
[1] Chishti, Muzaffar and Hipsman, Faye. “Increased Central American Migration to the United States May Prove an Enduring Phenomenon.” Migration Policy Institute, 18 Feb. 2016, https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/increased-central-american-migration-united-states-may-prove-enduring-phenomenon
[2] Bach, Natasha. “Trump Administration to Bypass Limits on Detention of Child Migrants Through New Regulations.” Fortune, 6 Sept 2018, http://fortune.com/2018/09/06/trump-administration-child-migrant-detention-laws/
[3] Miroff, Nick and Sacchetti, Maria. “Trump administration to circumvent court limits on detention of child migrants,” The Washington Post, 6 Sept 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-administration-to-circumvent-court-limits-on-detention-of-child-migrants/2018/09/06/181d376c-b1bd-11e8-a810-4d6b627c3d5d_story.html?utm_term=.96c91d4f4f59
[4] Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights, https://www.theyoungcenter.org/
[5] “About The Young Center.” Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights, https://www.theyoungcenter.org/about-the-young-center/
[6] “President Donald J. Trump Is Fighting to Eradicate Human Trafficking.” The White House, 9 Jan. 2019, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-fighting-eradicate-human-trafficking/
[7] “S. 1862 — 115th Congress: Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2017.” GovTrack, https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/s1862
[8] “FAQs”, Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights, https://www.theyoungcenter.org/faq/
While the Wall and the separation of families have made headlines, the administration has also sought to nullify the protections afforded to unaccompanied minors that immigrate into the US. In September 2018, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a proposal that would allow the US government to hold minors in detention so long as their immigration case remains open, instead of a maximum of 20 days.(2) The proposed regulations would invalidate the Flores Settlement Agreement, a decree that has stipulated the treatment of detained underage migrants since 1997. The regulations would also deprive unaccompanied minors of special protections under the law. Over the past two fiscal years, more than 40%of unaccompanied minors were released to their parents, according to HHS. Should the proposal pass, rights such as seeking asylum before a trained asylum officer instead of in the more adversarial immigration courts would be stripped if an unaccompanied minor travelled to the US to join parents already in the country.(3)
The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights (The Young Center) champions the rights of unaccompanied immigrant children and serves their best interests, ensuring their safety to the extent of its capacity. Advocating for the safety and well-being of each child throughout the detainment and deportation process, The Young Center aims to create an immigration system that serves children and advocates for immigration proceedings to take best interest into account when decisions are made, with due regard to the child’s expressed wishes.(4) (5)
The Young Center, guided by the principals of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, operates on three main fronts. Its attorneys, social workers and bilingual volunteers are appointed as Child Advocate (guardian ad litem) by the Department of Health and Human Services. These independent advocates ensure that children’s best interests are recognised throughout legal proceedings and give recommendations based on state and international law to government decision makers including judges, asylum officers and enforcement officials. This direct service is combined with efforts to implement a Best Interests Framework, which incorporates best interests considerations in the absence of a standard in immigration law and reminds decision makers of their discretion to consider best interests. Lastly, The Young Center seeks to preserve the existing protections, recently focussing on those set forth in the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), which was up for reauthorization in 2017 and enacted on January 9th 2019. (6) (7) Given the political climate, The Young Center believes that it is crucial to safeguard existing laws, policies and practice that provides unaccompanied immigrant children with protections such as access to attorneys and Child Advocates, family reunification and access to a court hearing.(8)
The Young Center was founded in Chicago in 2004, given funding from the Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement and charged with developing a programme to advocate for the best interests of unaccompanied immigrant children which recognised their status as children. In 2008, Congress passed the TVPRA. which included a provision for the appointment of Child Advocates whose role is to advocate for the child’s best interests. The Young Center continued its work, opening up additional offices and advocating for the expansion of the Child Advocate programme, which came to fruition with a 2013 Congress amendment to the TVPRA. During the Trump administration, The Young Center has focused its efforts on safeguarding hard-earned protections for immigrant children and responding to the implementation of changes to federal policy outlined in the January Executive Orders and directives issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Young Center has so far assigned Child Advocates for more than 2500 children, and has a total of eight locations across the US.(5) (8)
The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights is a tax deductible 501(c)3 charitable organisation.
Citations:
[1] Chishti, Muzaffar and Hipsman, Faye. “Increased Central American Migration to the United States May Prove an Enduring Phenomenon.” Migration Policy Institute, 18 Feb. 2016, https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/increased-central-american-migration-united-states-may-prove-enduring-phenomenon
[2] Bach, Natasha. “Trump Administration to Bypass Limits on Detention of Child Migrants Through New Regulations.” Fortune, 6 Sept 2018, http://fortune.com/2018/09/06/trump-administration-child-migrant-detention-laws/
[3] Miroff, Nick and Sacchetti, Maria. “Trump administration to circumvent court limits on detention of child migrants,” The Washington Post, 6 Sept 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-administration-to-circumvent-court-limits-on-detention-of-child-migrants/2018/09/06/181d376c-b1bd-11e8-a810-4d6b627c3d5d_story.html?utm_term=.96c91d4f4f59
[4] Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights, https://www.theyoungcenter.org/
[5] “About The Young Center.” Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights, https://www.theyoungcenter.org/about-the-young-center/
[6] “President Donald J. Trump Is Fighting to Eradicate Human Trafficking.” The White House, 9 Jan. 2019, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-fighting-eradicate-human-trafficking/
[7] “S. 1862 — 115th Congress: Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2017.” GovTrack, https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/s1862
[8] “FAQs”, Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights, https://www.theyoungcenter.org/faq/
