Author Archives: Samantha Howland
Learning to see: Child trafficking and the burden of public awareness
Human trafficking is often referred to, or used interchangeably with, modern day slavery. Most commonly these terms bring up imagery of shackles, complete servitude, and restricted movement. While these situations can be realities, the phenomenon of human trafficking is more complex and can manifest in diverse ways. Given the complexities and diversities of human trafficking, […]
Lessons and Concerns: The Differences Between the Response to Unaccompanied Child Migrants in 2014 and 2015
During the summer of 2014, the United States saw an unprecedented number of unaccompanied children illegally crossing the U.S./Mexico border without their parents. U.S Customs and Border Protection reports a 48 percent decrease in Southwest Border apprehensions of unaccompanied child migrants for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 compared to from FY 2014. While this is a […]
IDNYC: The Route to Identity and Inclusion
As the federal government of the United States continues to stall on reforming the existing immigration system, individual states are taking it upon themselves to create new programs and services that meet the needs of their population. Significant media attention has focused on states such as Maryland or California that have issued driver’s licenses to residents without […]
Driver’s Licenses: A State-by-State Process
An increasing number of U.S. states are evoking state’s rights in order to grant driver’s licenses to their residents, regardless of their immigration status. Individual states, most recently California, have addressed the issue of undocumented drivers on the state level, due to Congress’s continuing inability to pass national legislation regarding immigration reform. The ability to […]
Refugee Status for Children in Central America?
In the spring and summer of 2014 the U.S. faced an unprecedented humanitarian crisis on the U.S./Mexico border involving tens of thousands of unaccompanied child migrants from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Extensive news coverage and reports explored causes of the sudden influx of so many children from Central America. Root causes such as poverty, […]
The Need to Include the Voices of Internally Displaced Persons in Peace Negotiations
Conflict, whether fought between legitimate state actors or among violent non-state actors, induces different forms of migration. In order to escape targeted killings, forced recruitment, or general violence, individuals and communities will relocate to avoid becoming involved in or a casualty of a conflict. This movement can be prompted instantaneously or be employed as a […]
A Nation of Immigrants that Hates Newer Immigrants?
In a recent segment on his show, Jon Stewart, satirically addresses different discussion points concerning the “border crisis” on the U.S./Mexico border, especially in regards to the surge of unaccompanied child migrants. Within this segment he comments, “We have always been a nation of immigrants that hates newer immigrants.” While the U.S. is a nation […]
The Relationship Between Central American Street Gangs and Regular and Irregular Migration Patterns
Within the last month, there has been substantial discussion about whether the U.S. is facing a ‘border crisis’ owing to a rise in the number of children who cross the border into the U.S. unaccompanied. Recent articles have discussed the reasons why so many children are embarking on the perilous journey from Central America to […]
The Importance of A Gender Lens in Analyzing the U.S. Protection System
Gender is oftentimes a focal point of asylum cases in the United States. The U.S. protection framework has been fairly progressive in its interpretation of the immutability and importance of gender in ascertaining those who need protection and why an individual may be persecuted or in need of protection. Immigration Courts, the Board of Immigration […]
The Migrationist 