Along the border of the United States and Mexico are a number of detention facilities that are housing thousands of Central American migrant children who are fleeing poverty and violence.
The surge in cases that have made headlines shines a bright light on the ongoing discussion regarding the manner in which the United States detains immigrant children and the facilities in which they are held.
Because the designated shelters that house these children are getting dangerously close to reaching capacity, the Biden administration has been forced to reactivate detention facilities like the one that is located in Carrizo Springs, Texas.
This action brought back the phrase “kids in cages” and casts doubt on the dignity with which these children are being held in detention.
Along the border of the United States and Mexico are a number of detention facilities that are housing thousands of Central American migrant children who are fleeing poverty and violence. The surge in cases that have made headlines shines a bright light on the ongoing discussion regarding the manner in which the United States detains immigrant children and the facilities in which they are held.
Why Can’t The US Release All Detained Children?
To keep children safe from COVID-19, the US cannot release them immediately. Any solution to treat children in government custody with dignity and attention must acknowledge these challenges.
Immigration Detention: How Does It Work?
Entering the U.S. in order to create a fresh path for children to follow in order to apply for asylum in the United States.
As a result of the program, certain unaccompanied minors will be able to submit an application for asylum in their own country, which will decrease the incentive for them to travel to the United States in search of protection.
border face a civil removal proceeding that results in deportation and a several-year ban from reentering the country. They are detained at a CBP facility for single adults while awaiting their hearing.
The spaces often resemble prison cells. They shouldn’t hold border-crossing children and families.
Are Unaccompanied Children Detained In Child-Friendly Facilities?
The U.S. detains unaccompanied children differently than adults. Unaccompanied children are temporarily held in DHS facilities and then transferred to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).
ORR facilities are intended to be more child-friendly and for longer stays. These detention centers must have child care licenses. ORR detains children while it searches for a U.S. relative to guard them.
The Biden Administration is trying to solve the overcrowding at border facilities due to the increase in children.
Unaccompanied Migrant Children Are Called “kids In Cages.” Does America Cage kids?
U.S. migrant children increased in 2014. The Obama Administration built overflow CBP facilities in warehouses. “Kids in cages” came from warehouse partitions made of chain link fences. These facilities are not long-term child detention centers.
The Trump Administration’s Zero Tolerance Policy, which separated parents and children for criminal prosecution, popularized the term.
The surge of migrant children at the border and the Biden Administration’s reopening of overflow detention facilities have revived the phrase.
Why Are Border Unaccompanied Children Rising?
Push and pull factors are responsible for the rise in unaccompanied migrant children (what induces migrants to choose the U.S. as their destination).
First, the Northern Triangle countries of Central America—El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras—face corruption, poverty, lax law enforcement, and violence, including gender-based violence. On top of that, two devastating hurricanes hit the Northern Triangle in 2020, destroying livelihoods.
Second, due to COVID-19, the Trump Administration invoked Title 42, which allows CBP to immediately return any migrant crossing the border to the country of last transit, whether they were evading law enforcement or seeking asylum.
This Trump order included migrant children. The Biden Administration is letting unaccompanied migrant children stay in the U.S. In 2020, demand built up for migrant children seeking asylum.
How is the Biden Administration handling border children?
To accommodate child migrants, the Biden Administration reactivated overflow facilities and converted family detention centers into rapid processing centers.
On March 10, the administration revived the 2014 Central America Minors program to allow children to seek asylum in the U.S.
Certain minors can apply for asylum in their home country under the program, reducing the incentive to travel toto allow children to seek asylum in the U.S. Certain minors can apply for asylum in their home country under the program, reducing the incentive to travel to the US.
