Relatives of Unaccompanied Minors Fear Deportation
Alexander Richey
Thousands of unaccompanied minors remain detained a week out from the deadline for the Trump administration to reunite children with their parents.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement says four hundred and fifty three children have been resettled in Alabama this year through April. It isn’t known how many since then. Children released from detention are placed into foster care shelters or with relatives who are approved as sponsors.
The problem is, many relatives are afraid to come forward to take in these children. That’s because they’re required to disclose their immigration status to private resettlement agencies and the Department of Homeland Security.
Isabel Rubio, director of the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, says relatives are still worried. “People are concerned that if their information is sent to the Department of Homeland Security that they are at higher risk for deportation because now immigration knows exactly who they are and where they live.”
The administration says collecting the information is a way to vet members of the household for criminal history or prior sex offenses. Officials say it also closes loopholes in child trafficking.
Rubio says if relatives of unaccompanied minors do not come forward, children are likely to be detained longer, or stay in foster care while they await immigration hearings.
Millions of borrowers in Biden’s SAVE plan would start paying under new settlement
Legal challenges put SAVE borrowers in limbo for months, a time during which they were not required to make payments on their loans. That would change if the proposed settlement is approved.
Rising temperatures could have a chilling impact on young children
A study points to a new concern about the effect that heat can have on young children.
‘Pluribus’ star Rhea Seehorn says no thanks to a world dictated by group think
In the Apple TV series, Seehorn stars as a woman named Carol who suddenly finds herself surrounded by people who are inexplicably happy. The only problem: Carol's not interested in joining them.
Who is Danny Ocean, the pop star playing at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony?
The 33-year-old singer collaborated with Nobel Prize winner María Corina Machado during last year's highly-contested elections in Venezuela.
Believe it or not, this book makes taxes fascinating
The Price of Democracy tells the history of taxation from colonization to the present day. It's essential reading for anyone who cares about preserving democracy.
Raul Malo, lead singer of The Mavericks, has died at 60
The son of Cuban immigrants, Malo and his band blended country, rock and roll, folk, jump blues, Latin music and Cajun rhythms into a distinct sound anchored by his unmistakable voice.
