Migrant minors in federal immigration courts should have government-appointed attorneys, and more liberal asylum regulations are needed to cover special needs of such children who come into the U.S. unlawfully without a parent, said two advocacy groups on Thursday.
Their recommendations come as rising numbers of immigrants from Central America and Mexico flee violence and enter the U.S. through the Texas border. Last fiscal year, nearly 40,000 unaccompanied minors were apprehended, with three-fourths caught in Texas, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Several groups estimate the numbers could hit about 74,000 this year — a tenfold increase in just a few years.
The detailed recommendations came in a report called “Treacherous Journey: Child Migrants Navigating the U.S. Immigration System.” The report was issued by Kids In Need of Defense, or KIND, a Washington, D.C.-based group that advocates for immigrant teenagers and children, and the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies at the University of California Hastings College of Law.
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