Unaccompanied Children on the Border: Brief Overview

1
Unaccompanied Children on the Border Brief
Overview
League of United Latin American Citizens

• Presented by Luis Torres
• LULAC Director of Policy and Legislation
• v8.13.2014

2
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)

League of United Latin American Citizens
3
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)

4
Recent UAC Arrival Trends

• 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)

League of United Latin American Citizens
5
Number of UAC Arrivals Over Last 6 Fiscal Years
Country Fiscal Year 2009 Fiscal 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/southwes
t-border-unaccompanied-children
6
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)

7
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)

8
Where are the UACs being kept?
UAC release data from January 1st to July 31st
State of UAC
Hawaii 8
Idaho 13
Illinois 377
Indiana 309
Iowa 159
Kansas 207
Kentucky 284
Louisiana 1275
Maine 12
Maryland 2804
Massachusetts 989
Michigan 124
State of UAC
Alabama 515
Alaska 5
Arizona 203
Arkansas 209
California 3909
Colorado 263
Connecticut 394
Delaware 141
District of Columbia 238
Florida 3809
Georgia 1412
League of United Latin American Citizens
9
Where are the UACs being kept?
UAC release data from January 1st to July 31st
State of UAC
Hawaii 8
Idaho 13
Illinois 377
Indiana 309
Iowa 159
Kansas 207
Kentucky 284
Louisiana 1275
Maine 12
Maryland 2804
Massachusetts 989
Michigan 124
State of UAC
Minnesota 202
Mississippi 202
Missouri 146
Montana 1
Nebraska 232
Nevada 163
New Hampshire 24
New Jersey 1877
New Mexico 28
New York 4244
North Carolina 1429
League of United Latin American Citizens
10
Where are the UACs being kept?
UAC release data from January 1st to July 31st
State of UAC
Vermont 3
Virginia 2856
Virgin Islands 4
Washington 265
West Virginia 12
Wisconsin 60
Wyoming 7
Total 37477
State of UAC
North Dakota 4
Ohio 405
Oklahoma 241
Oregon 73
Pennsylvania 456
Puerto Rico 1
Rhode Island 148
South Carolina 434
South Dakota 27
Tennessee 909
Texas 5280
Utah 85
(Source Department of Health and Human Services,
Office of Refugee Resettlement)
League of United Latin American Citizens
11
What is Congress doing?

• 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 Obamas request
  prior to the August 2014 recess.

League of United Latin American Citizens
12
What is Congress doing?

• 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.

League of United Latin American Citizens
13
What is Congress doing?

• H.R. 5272, legislation aimed at stripping
  President Obamas authority to provide temporary
  protection to additional DREAMERS and other
  migrants. Read LULACs 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 LULACs
  letter opposing H.R. 5230, here.
• Read all of LULACs Policy Letters and Advocacy
  Materials (including resources on UACs) by
  visiting www.lulac.org/advocacy

League of United Latin American Citizens
14
How Can You Help?

• Messaging is important- Speak up for the kids!
• Participate in our action alert
  www.lulac.org/actforkids
• Help LULACs Border Children Relief Project

League of United Latin American Citizens
15
Messaging

• Why UACs Are Migrating
• Children are fleeing violence in their
  communities
• Children are leaving situations of abuse and
  neglect
• 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)

League of United Latin American Citizens
16
Messaging

• OTHER 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)

League of United Latin American Citizens
17
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 LULACs current resources to help guide you
  www.lulac.org/toolkit/

18
Help LULACs Border Children Relief Project

• For more information, you can visit
• www.lulac.org/relief

19
Contact Information

• Luis A. Torres
• Director of Policy and Legislation
• (202)-833-6130 EXT.112
• latorres_at_lulac.org

League of United Latin American Citizens