Friend,
In 2018, eleven-year-old Oscar was taken from his parents at the border during the “zero tolerance” policy that resulted in thousands of families being torn apart. By the time a Young Center attorney was appointed to him as a Child Advocate, Oscar was suffering from severe trauma.
Nightmares. Panic attacks. Stomach so upset from anxiety he couldn’t eat.
The attorney jumped into action. Oscar was suffering, and no one knew where his parents were. Finding his family and coordinating their first phone call since separation brought joy, but that was only the beginning of the work to get Oscar released from detention and back with his parents.
Afterwards, the attorney connected Oscar’s family with resources to continue pursuing their asylum case post-release and then focused on helping the next child in need.
Asylum and immigration cases take years to complete. Fast forward to today, when that same Young Center attorney received a request for help from a nonprofit partner. The request included a list of children’s names whose asylum cases were at risk and a plea for us to determine the best way forward, to safety, for each child.
Oscar’s name was on the list.
Six years after we first helped Oscar reunite with his family, that attorney recognized his name in an instant. She remembered how traumatized Oscar had been, remembered the fear, the despair, the first stirrings of hope when he learned he would see his parents again.
And then the attorney got to work, bringing her team’s expertise to Oscar’s case and every other child on that list.
Because we don’t quit when immigrant children and youth are in need.
Thanks to you, we've raised close to $62,000.00. We’ve made it this far because of your unwavering support, and we need you NOW more than ever. It's the final countdown. We're so close to the finish line. Will you make a gift of to keep immigrant children and youth free, safe, and with family in their communities?
