Press Release: Unaccompanied Children Program Must Be Restored
Frank Garcia, Executive Director of Immigration Counseling Service (ICS) issued the following statement in response to a stop-work order from the U.S. Department of the Interior immediately pausing legal services to unaccompanied children:
“Each year, thousands of unaccompanied children fleeing poverty, war, gangs, or abusive family relationships enter the United States separated from their parents or legal guardians. Their journeys are hazardous, and their youth makes them especially vulnerable to human trafficking, exploitation, and abuse. These children are detained in facilities across the country, including in Oregon. Without legal representation, 9-in-10 unaccompanied children are deported to the dangerous conditions they fled.
“Immigration Counseling Service (ICS) is the only nonprofit providing legal services and representation to unaccompanied children detained in Oregon. On February 18, we received a stop work order from the U.S. Government on these essential services. We no longer have funding to provide legal defense, Know Your Rights information, or family reunification support to these vulnerable clients.
“ICS has provided legal defense for unaccompanied minors since 2006 and was representing 164 active cases for unaccompanied children in Oregon when we received the stop work order. We will continue to serve these clients pro-bono because we have an ethical and legal responsibility to each of them and withdrawal of legal support could severely harm their cases. However, we are barred by the stop work order from taking on new clients through this program or providing Know Your Rights presentations to newly detained unaccompanied minors.
“In addition, we are extremely concerned by reports that ICE officers have accessed a database containing sensitive information about unaccompanied children. We fear that this could signal efforts to target unaccompanied children for deportation while simultaneously removing their access to legal representation.
“This stop work order is devastating for our clients and our team that has supported them since 2006. You can help.”
Learn more about unaccompanied children here: https://www.ics-law.org/services/unaccompanied-children
Support ICS and unaccompanied children by donating today: https://www.ics-law.org/donate-today
Share resources to know and defend your constitutional rights: https://www.ics-law.org/resources
Contact your representatives today and tell them to reinstate funding for unaccompanied children immediately: tinyurl.com/SaveUCP