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www.theyoungcenter.org/donate [www.theyoungcenter.org/donate]
Friend,
Immigrant children weather storms of all kinds when they make journeys to our borders alone. After fleeing abuse, violence, trafficking or the lack of basic human needs, unaccompanied children seek a safe place to land, where they can live with family in their communities, attend school, and chase their unique and individual dreams.
But when they arrive at the border, children are met with hostility and relentless policies meant to exclude them. They are transferred from one government agency to another—Border Patrol or ICE to children’s detention facilities—each time being forced to share the most traumatic details of their journeys with new strangers.
“The deployment of armed ICE agents to the homes of immigrant children and their sponsors does not enhance their safety; it exacerbates their trauma and undermines the values we hold dear in this country.”
When an immigrant child in detention meets a Young Center Child Advocate, they meet someone who will become a trusted ally. For some children, their Child Advocate is the first person in weeks or months of detention who speaks their native language. For all, their Child Advocate will be by their side every week while they are detained, through their hearings in immigration court or asylum, and will celebrate with them when they are released to family.
Their release should be the beginning of a child’s resettlement in a safe community. But today, we know that ICE has been directed to deport unaccompanied immigrant children, targeting them in their homes, with their families, instilling fear. In 20 years of service, we have never seen such a hunt for children.
Immigrant children seeking safety alone should be met with compassion, dignity, and a fair opportunity to be heard. When you stand with us, you are not only providing children with a trusted Advocate to accompany them during some of the scariest moments of their young lives, you are also joining a community dedicated to ensuring their safety and best possible outcomes. It is up to all of us to take a stand and fight back . Will you make a gift to keep immigrant children free, safe, and with family in their communities?
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Warmly,
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Gladis Molina Alt,
Young Center Executive Director
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www.theyoungcenter.org [[link removed]]
P.O. Box 2417,
Chicago, IL 60690
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