The author advocates for incorporating the best interest of the child standard into deportation proceedings initiated against an undocumented immigrant parent.
Read the PaperPresident Obama assigned responsibility for meeting the needs of the children taken into federal custody to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), describing the inflow as an “urgent humanitarian issue.” Governmental capacity to care for the caseload is overwhelmed as fast as it can be installed. Everyone knows that the current trend is unsustainable: a broader policy response must quickly follow on the humanitarian one.
Read ArticleThis 2-page ILRC document summarizes the guidelines laid out in the Directive.
Read SummaryOn August 23, 2013, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a directive on Facilitating Parental Interests in the Course of Immigration Enforcement Activities, or the Parental Interest Directive. The Directive is a response to the large and growing number of U.S. citizen children with immigrant parents or guardians who have been detained or deported, and is meant to ensure that detained and removed parents and guardians can maintain a relationship with their children and make decisions in their best interest. Written by Wendy Cervantes, Vice President, Immigration and Child Rights Policy, First Focus.
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Written by Emily Butera, Senior Program Officer, this blog discusses a long awaited directive on “Facilitating Parental Interests in the Course of Civil Immigration Enforcement Activities” released by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Read BlogFull text of the Parental Interest Directive issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in August 2013.
Read Full TextThis special issue includes articles that address the intersection between the legal and child welfare systems.
Read Full Journal IssueFirst Focus and the Women’s Refugee Commission led the effort to develop these principles for children in immigration reform to ensure that efforts at immigration reform consider the best interests of children and their families.
Read DocumentOriginally signed in 1994, this bill provides protection and immigration relief options for victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault. The 2013 VAWA strengthens the legislation with increased protections for Native American women and other victims previously left vulnerable by gaps in the law.
Read BillChildren in Harm’s Way is a compilation of articles written by leading scholars, policy analysts, legal experts, and practitioners that explores how children are harmed when the criminal justice, immigration enforcement, and child welfare systems converge.
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