The wave of children coming to the United States is alarming because it highlights the fact that thousands of children are risking their lives to reach this country.
More than 50,000 children have been apprehended attempting to cross the border, fleeing violence and poverty, with aspirations of a better future in the United States. It is estimated that 90,000 children will arrive this year. Thousands of children are in shelters that are already overcrowded due to the large number of children entering the country on a daily basis. It is a true humanitarian crisis.
What happens to these children once they arrive at the border and are detained has raised many questions for their families and great concern for the U.S. government as it grapples with how to handle the situation. It has also mobilized activists, generated a negative reaction from anti-immigrant groups and garnered media attention across the country - in English and Spanish.
Several television and radio programs have interviewed me to clarify doubts about the situation and legal options for these children once they are in the United States.
Ismael Cala dedicated his one-hour CNN en Español program to the topic. In the first part, I talk about my experience as an immigrant child, my volunteer work with the organization KIND (Kids in Need of Defense) to help undocumented children in court, and how I have helped some of these children.
In the second part I explain the importance of good legal representation in the immigration courts. I also call on other lawyers in the country to offer their services free of charge to help the non-profit organization KIND (Kids in Need of Defense).
In the third part I explain what parents who want to know where to find their children if they have been detained should do.
In the last part, I explain what risks undocumented parents run if they show up at the detention center to reclaim their children.
During a live interview on Telemundo's morning show "Un Nuevo Día," he explained the process undocumented children go through when they are apprehended at the border and how a parent can locate a detained child.
In an interview with Estrella TV, he explained what special immigrant juvenile status is and how he can prove it in order to obtain immigration benefits.
The radio station KCRW, an NPR affiliate, interviewed me for a special report, where they explain the issue and spoke with several Central American children who were detained after crossing the border.
You can read the interview presentation and here is the link to listen to the radio report.
