Tag Archives: unaccompanied alien children
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, […]
Should Children in Immigration Court Be Their Own Attorneys?
Amid growing violence in Central America and Mexico, thousands of unaccompanied immigrant children have sought safety and stability in the United States over the past several years. After reaching a peak in the summer of 2014, the U.S. saw a slight decrease in the numbers of such children coming to the U.S. last year; however, […]
Increase in Deportations from Mexico Requires Closer Scrutiny
Apprehensions of unaccompanied alien children (UACs) and families at the U.S. Southern border are down from last spring, and this is due in part to an increase in border security at Mexico’s southern border. This increase in Mexican immigration enforcement is partially funded and encouraged by the United States, and it is not clear that […]
Family Detention: Are We Repeating the Mistakes of Hutto?
While much recent media attention has focused on the influx of 62,998* unaccompanied Central American children seeking refuge in the U.S., the number of family border crossings has spiked as well. In fact, recent reports from Customs and Border Protection show that the number of family units apprehended in 2014 has reached over 62,000,* which is a 471% […]
Weakening Legal Protections for Unaccompanied Minors Is Not the Answer
Imagine you are a child from Honduras. Your hometown is the murder capital of the world, and after numerous run-ins with vicious gangs who attempt to compel membership through death threats, you make the unbearable decision to travel 1,500 miles alone to safety in the United States. You travel for weeks, risking your life riding […]
Why Are Unaccompanied Children Fleeing Central America, and How Can the U.S. and Others Respond?
The number of unaccompanied migrant children crossing the southern border of the United States has been growing exponentially in recent years, finally reaching a tipping point in the past several weeks. After a record-breaking almost 25,000 unaccompanied minors were taken into the care of the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) in fiscal year 2013, […]
The Rapid Rise of Unaccompanied Children in the United States
Each year, thousands of unaccompanied alien children (UACs) risk harrowing journeys and travel alone to seek refuge in the United States. These children come from all over the world for many reasons, including to escape persecution in their home countries, to reunify with family members and to look for a better life. In recent years, […]
The Migrationist 