unaccompanied children on the border: brief overview
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League of United Latin American Citizens. Unaccompanied Children on the Border: Brief Overview. Presented by Luis Torres LULAC Director of Policy and Legislation v8.13.2014. Who are the u naccompanied children?. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Unaccompanied Children on the Border: Brief OverviewPresented by Luis TorresLULAC Director of Policy and Legislationv8.13.2014
League of United Latin American Citizens
Who are the unaccompanied children?• Children under the age of 18 who come to the United States
without a parent or guardian are referred to “Unaccompanied Alien Children” or UACs• They are defined in law in the Homeland Security Act of 2002,
Pub. L. 107-296 § 462 (g), 116 Stat. 2135, 2205 (2002).• A UAC is a person who ‘ (A) has no lawful status in the US, (B)
has not attained 18 years of age, (C) with respect to whom- (i) there is no parent or legal guardian in the United States; or (ii) no parent or no legal guardian in the United States is available to provide care and physical custody.”
(Source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, PowerPoint, 6/2014)
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Where are the UACs coming from? Why? • The majority of children coming are from Guatemala, El Salvador and
Honduras (there are some Mexican children arriving- but they are treated differently by law)
• There are no simple answers to why. They come for a variety of reasons but increasingly they are fleeing life threatening home country:• The Push and Pull Factors that caused low levels of child migration
before the spike are still present, including the lack of educational and economic opportunity, the negative push of family breakdown in their home countries, or the positive draw of Family Unity with family members living in the United States
• One Overriding factor has played a decisive and forceful role in the spike: pervasive violence with impunity communities- whether it be gang-related, local bad actors, transnational criminals or larger problems of citizen insecurity at the governmental level
(Source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, PowerPoint, 6/2014)
Recent UAC Arrival Trends
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• Number of UACs Arriving is Increasing• From 2004 to 2011, the number of arriving unaccompanied children
to the US averaged between 7,000 and 8,000 annually.• In FY 2012, the number of unaccompanied children taken into US
custody jumped to over 13,000 children. • In FY 2013, the number reached over 24,000 and the current
projection for FY 2014 is over the earlier estimate of 60,000 (to upwards of 90,000) children coming to the U.S.
• UAC Population Arriving is Changing• More Girls • Younger Children Arriving • More Victims of Trauma
(Source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, PowerPoint, 6/2014)
Number of UAC Arrivals Over Last 6 Fiscal Years• .Country Fiscal Year
2009Fiscal Year 2010
Fiscal Year 2011
Fiscal Year 2012
Fiscal Year 2013
Fiscal Year 2014
El Salvador 1,221 1,910 1,394 3,314 5,990 9,850
Guatemala 1,115 1,517 1,565 3,835 8,068 11,479
Honduras 968 1,017 974 2,997 6,747 13,282
Mexico 16,114 13,724 11,768 13,974 17,240 11,577
Total: 19,418 18,168 15,701 24,120 38,045 46,188
Source: http://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/southwest-border-unaccompanied-children
What happens to UACsWhen/If They Arrive in the US?• AT THE BORDER: Unaccompanied Children are
normally apprehended near the border by Border Patrol (or at a port of entry by CBP) and taken to CBP and BP facilities
• TRANFER TO ORR: UACs are transferred within 72 hours from DHS to HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) custody into shelters and facilities
(Source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, PowerPoint, 6/2014)
What happens to UACsWhen/If They Arrive in the US?
• TIME IN ORR SHELTERS: Currently UACs are averaging 14- 30 days in ORR shelters
• RELEASED TO FAMILY: 90% of UAC children are released to identified family members or caretakers and placed in deportation proceedings to see if they can stay or not
(Source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, PowerPoint, 6/2014)
Where are the UAC’s being kept?
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State # of UACAlabama 515Alaska 5Arizona 203Arkansas 209California 3909Colorado 263Connecticut 394Delaware 141District of Columbia 238
Florida 3809Georgia 1412
UAC release data from January 1st to July 31st
State # of UACHawaii 8Idaho 13Illinois 377Indiana 309Iowa 159Kansas 207Kentucky 284Louisiana 1275Maine 12Maryland 2804Massachusetts 989Michigan 124
Where are the UAC’s being kept?
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UAC release data from January 1st to July 31st
State # of UACHawaii 8Idaho 13Illinois 377Indiana 309Iowa 159Kansas 207Kentucky 284Louisiana 1275Maine 12Maryland 2804Massachusetts 989Michigan 124
State # of UACMinnesota 202Mississippi 202Missouri 146Montana 1Nebraska 232Nevada 163New Hampshire 24
New Jersey 1877New Mexico 28New York 4244North Carolina 1429
Where are the UAC’s being kept?
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UAC release data from January 1st to July 31st
State # of UACVermont 3Virginia 2856Virgin Islands 4Washington 265West Virginia 12Wisconsin 60Wyoming 7Total 37477
State # of UACNorth Dakota 4Ohio 405Oklahoma 241Oregon 73Pennsylvania 456Puerto Rico 1Rhode Island 148South Carolina 434South Dakota 27Tennessee 909Texas 5280Utah 85
(Source: Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement)
What is Congress doing?
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• A surge in arrivals of Central American children at the border in the summer of 2014, and the inability of the border personnel to process and adequately address their arrivals, prompted President Obama to submit a request to Congress for emergency funding. • The Senate and House of Representatives scrambled
in July to pass emergency appropriation funding. The Senate was unable to secure enough votes to pass a bill funding President Obama’s request prior to the August 2014 recess.
What is Congress doing?
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• The House of Representatives was able to pass two pieces of legislation prior to the start of the August 2014 recess. Both of these bills were opposed by LULAC. Neither of these bills are expected to pass the Senate and President Obama has also expressed his intent to use his veto authority.
What is Congress doing?
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• H.R. 5272, legislation aimed at stripping President Obama’s authority to provide temporary protection to additional DREAMERS and other migrants. Read LULAC’s letter opposing H.R. 5272 here.• H.R. 5230, a border supplemental appropriation bill
that included language that would make it easier to deport migrant children. Read LULAC’s letter opposing H.R. 5230, here.• Read all of LULAC’s Policy Letters and Advocacy
Materials (including resources on UACs) by visiting: www.lulac.org/advocacy
How Can You Help?
•Messaging is important- Speak up for the kids!
• Participate in our action alert: www.lulac.org/actforkids
• Help LULAC’s Border Children Relief Project
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Messaging• Why UACs Are Migratingo Children are fleeing violence in their communities o Children are leaving situations of abuse and neglecto Children are looking for security and safety
• Message Framing:• UAC = Children in Need of Protection • UAC U.S. Challenge = urgent humanitarian situation• UAC Regional Challenge = A foreign policy, regional protection
challenge • UAC Solution = A regional, holistic approach by U.S. & all countries in
region• Rise in UACs = International Protection Issue
(Source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, PowerPoint, 6/2014)
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MessagingOTHER MESSAGING POINTS:
• Rise in Numbers Caused by Rise in Violence• Children need humane care and protection in US • Need asylum process for neighboring Latin American Countries• Need to create safe paths for migration – Pass Immigration Reform • Absent immigration reform, need strong, comprehensive administrative
action• Long term the region must address root causes of this forced migration.
(Source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, PowerPoint, 6/2014)
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Action Alert• Go to www.lulac.org/act4kids
• Make an appointment to visit your Member of Congress at their district office.• Write a letter to the editor.• Use LULAC’s current resources to help guide you:
www.lulac.org/toolkit/
Help LULAC’s Border Children Relief Project• For more information, you can visit: • www.lulac.org/relief
Contact Information
Luis A. TorresDirector of Policy and Legislation
(202)-833-6130 [email protected]
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