Dear Friend,

In a victory for children, a federal judge ruled last Friday that DHS violated federal law when it apprehended migrant children at the border and detained them in hotels, before attempting to deport them to the very dangers they fled. 

Since March, DHS has detained more than 600 children in hotels while immigration officials arranged for their return. The children had no access to Child Advocates, to attorneys, or to any of the protections guaranteed to them under federal law. They were supervised by unknown adults with no expertise in child development and trauma.

In more than a dozen cases, the Young Center learned of children held in hotels and fought for their transfer to safe, state-licensed programs. Determined to help end this egregious practice, we filed a declaration before the federal court to document the violation of children’s rights. On Friday, that court agreed that the conditions in hotels “are not adequately safe and do not sufficiently account for the vulnerability of unaccompanied minors in detention.” 

As we celebrate this win, we know that the fight is far from over. Just last night, DHS appealed the decision and is actually fighting to keep children hidden in hotels. DHS also continues to illegally turn away thousands of children and asylum-seekers at the border under the cover of COVID-19. We remain committed to fighting for rights and protection for all children and will continue to fight against the administration’s relentless attacks on children’s rights. Thank you for making our fight possible. 

Sincerely,
Jennifer Nagda
Policy Director