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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Julian Teixeira
(202) 776-1812
jteixeira@nclr.org
“These are children, not criminals,” states NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguía
Deeming the growing numbers of unaccompanied child refugees in U.S. government custody an international humanitarian situation, NCLR (National Council of La Raza) today endorsed Senator Robert Menendez’s (D.-N.J.) multipoint plan to address the issue and also called for greater financial support of the many humanitarian, legal and children’s organizations that have been leading efforts to assist these children.
“What we’re seeing played out here is an urgent international humanitarian issue,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR. “These are young children fleeing violence and seeking a safe haven. Whether in their own country, in neighboring nations or at the U.S. border, they are refugees and should be treated as such. The idea that some would claim otherwise is a tragic consequence of a needlessly polarized immigration debate. How we address this issue reflects how well we are upholding our values as a nation.”
“While the primary reason for this crisis is abundantly clear, the solution is much more complex and involves not just law enforcement and U.S. domestic policy, but also U.S. foreign policy and the participation of international agencies. We believe that Senator Bob Menendez’s thoughtful plan, which was issued late last week, is an important step forward in addressing this crisis. It calls for, among other things, focusing immediately on the welfare of the children, cracking down on smugglers and a renewed emphasis on fostering social and economic development in the region,” continued Murguia.
In addition, several NCLR Affiliates have been called into action to help provide basic services and support to these children such as Southwest Key in Austin, Texas, the largest provider of child welfare services in the nation.
“We will open five new shelters in the next month just to serve these child refugees, and we need to remember that they are young children desperate for what most children take for granted: a safe place to live and grow,” noted Juan Sanchez, Southwest Key President and CEO. “Our hope now is to get the remaining 3,000 or so kids who are still in border patrol offices into shelters or with an appropriate guardian.”
“Right now the most urgent need is to get these children the legal help they need. There are a number of tireless organizations who have long been involved in these issues such as Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) and the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), as well as ProBar, the American Bar Association’s immigrant/refugee representation project. We urge attorneys, companies and other individuals to consider donating both critically needed financial and in-kind support such as pro bono assistance to these organizations, as well as supporting other deeply involved charitable organizations such as Church World Service and Catholic Charities,” concluded Murguía.
NCLR commends the administration for implementing a multiagency response, acknowledging that this is a humanitarian issue, while cautioning against relying on practices, such as extended detentions of families, which have been deemed costly, inefficient and inconsistent with the best interests of the child.
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