Stuck in shelters, some migrant kids lose hope of staying in U.S.
Summary
A 9-year-old Salvadoran girl has spent more than seven months in a federal shelter while her mother, who was seeking to regain custody, was detained by immigration officials. Lawyers and child advocates say the Trump administration has changed the unaccompanied-children program in ways that keep some children in shelters and make family reunification harder.Key Facts
- The girl, identified by her initials M.R., was held at a government-run shelter in the Houston area.
- Her attorney said she told her mother she felt sad and lonely and reported nosebleeds and a possible infection.
- The girl's mother, identified as Carmen, was arrested and sent to a Louisiana detention center despite having a pending asylum case and no criminal record.
- As of September, nearly 1,900 children were being held in shelters overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement.
- Congress tasked the office with caring for unaccompanied children, and federal law requires their placement in the least restrictive setting and release without unnecessary delay.
- Attorneys said some children remain in shelters for months because prospective guardians are detained, fear the sponsorship process, or cannot complete it.
- Attorneys said the office sometimes refuses to release children even when sponsorship requirements are met, leading them to sue.
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