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In February 2023, the New York Times published “Alone and Exploited,” an article on the experiences of newly-arrived migrant children in the United States who are often exploited for their work in dangerous jobs that violate child labor laws. Having crossed the U.S. southern border unaccompanied, many of these young people are under pressure to earn money to support their families back home, pay rent and living expenses, as well as debts to smugglers, while also…
Family reunification occurs when migrants relocate without intact family units, and later reunite in new countries. Family serial migration and reunification is a global issue, relating to both voluntary and involuntary migrants who seek physical safety, psychological well-being, and economic self-sufficiency in new countries. Early studies alluded to a joyful family reconsolidation, while recent studies have found stressful reunions. This study provides an overview of the family reunification process of Latinx adolescents who have migrated to join their families in the United States.
The…
Providing effective mental health services to unaccompanied children released from federal immigration custody is both critically important and incredibly challenging. Developed by children’s rights attorneys and mental health experts on trauma and immigration, this Guide is grounded in the voices and experiences of unaccompanied children. The Guide provides context on the distinctive experiences unaccompanied children carry with them and offers guidance on how to meet the therapeutic needs of these children. Featured quotes from detained unaccompanied children throughout the Guide come from…
This article argues that the U.S. Congress should make changes to extend protections under Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). First, says the author, Congress should pass legislation to eliminate the requirement that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) must consent to grants of SIJS. Next, Congress should eliminate the per-country limitation on SIJS-based adjustment of status visas and triple the number of visas allocated per year in order to account for all the unaccompanied minors that may be eligible for SIJS. These implementations would give effect…
Abstract
There has been a record surge of unaccompanied immigrant minors (UAMs) entering the United States, with 86% of those apprehended at the US‐Mexico border originating from the Central American countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. A majority of immigrant children are separated from either one or both parents at various points during the migration process. Although average separations last 4 or more years, and may be deeply distressing, there is little research on family separations among Central American UAMs. Further, little is known about the developmental impact of…
UNICEF’s new report, Building Bridges for Every Child: Reception, Care and Services to Support Unaccompanied Children in the United States, considers global discussions on adequate reception and care for unaccompanied migrant and asylum-seeking children. With a focus on practical solutions and promising practices in the U.S. and from around the globe, the report seeks to bridge the worlds of international child rights and protection, immigration and domestic child welfare. It illustrates how reception, care and services for unaccompanied migrant…
This article from the journal of Pediatrics argues that the treatment of migrant children at the U.S. southern border fulfills the three criteria for torture according to the UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) and Rome Statute. These criteria are: severe pain and suffering, purposeful, and state consent. The article includes a call to action for pediatricians and child health professionals to "collaborate with other advocates and advocacy organizations to forge local, national and international responses to stop and prevent…
Abstract
The current global migration crisis has had a profound impact on family structures and dynamics. In the past few decades, scholars have paid increasing attention to the changing realities of families in transnational spheres through the: conceptualisation of the transnational family; ethnographic studies on transnational child-rearing practices; demographic analyses of cross-border families and more. As member of family units, children have naturally been part of the discussion, however few studies have explored the transnational child as the unit of analysis. In an effort in…
The COVID-19 pandemic demands federal action that includes protecting and promoting the well being of all families now, and into the future—especially for immigrant families. This brief explores how policymakers can begin to build a comprehensive and inclusive system of supports to protect immigrant families.
Abstract
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a public health order on March 20, 2020, restricting people seeking asylum in the United States, as well as unaccompanied non-citizen children attempting to cross into the United States, from accessing legal protections guaranteed to them under U.S. and international law. Under the order, such individuals are instead immediately expelled from the country in an effort to protect border facilities and the citizenry of the United States from COVID-19. As the order reasons, these immediate expulsions minimize the…