Today (March 15th) is the two year anniversary of the restart of the Central American Minors (CAM) program that allows certain children and family members from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to reunite with their parents or legal guardians in the United States. The Trump administration terminated the program in 2017, leaving thousands of families who applied before then in limbo, most of whom are STILL waiting to be reunited. The U.S. government can and MUST do more to offer safety to Central American children and youth & reunite them with their families.
We need your help. The Biden administration must do more to speed up processing times and make the program more accessible and transparent for families. Contact the Biden administration on this two year anniversary and urge them to invest in rebuilding CAM to be efficient, accessible, and transparent.
CONTACT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TODAY
On the right-hand side, you can send a tweet to President Biden, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorcas, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken!
Amplify on Social Media: Share this message on social media. Below are some sample posts and graphics created by our partners at International Refugee Assistance Project:
- It’s been 2 years since the Central American Minors Program was restored, but families who applied BEFORE Trump ended the program are STILL waiting to be reunited. The U.S. government can and MUST do more to get CAM youth to safety & reunited with their families. #CAMCantWait
- 2 years ago @POTUS restarted the Central American Minors (CAM) Program to reunite separated families. Today the admin needs to ensure the program operates efficiently, accessibly, and transparently #CAMCantWait #FamiliesBelongTogether
- Thousands of separated families are still waiting to be reunited through the Central American Minors (CAM) Program. We urge the Biden administration to invest in this critical family reunification program! #CAMCantWait #FamiliesBelongTogether
- Two years after Biden restarted the Central American Minors (CAM) Program, it still needs to improve access, processing timelines, and transparency. Separated families are relying on it. #CAMCantWait #FamiliesBelongTogether
- The Biden admin hasn’t done nearly enough to fix the CAM Program since it restarted 2 years ago, leaving thousands of Central American children waiting indefinitely to reunite with their families. It’s past time for an efficient, accessible & transparent CAM program! #CAMCantWait
Twitter Thread (Overview of CAM Obstacles)
- It’s been two years since the Biden administration reopened the Central American Minors (CAM) Program. So why are thousands of families who applied BEFORE Trump ended the program still waiting to be reunited? A thread 🧵
- The process is difficult to navigate. CAM-eligible kids & youth are asked to travel repeatedly for in-person interviews and appointments and absorb upfront costs. And there’s no guaranteed access to legal assistance to help guide them.
- The gov’t hasn’t dedicated enough resources to CAM. Understaffing creates long delays, keeping CAM youth in precarious situations longer. And the lack of translation & interpreting resources means many applicants – especially Indigenous youth – aren’t getting info they need.
- All of these issues are compounded by the fact that there’s no transparency from the government. CAM youth and their families are in limbo for YEARS, without any information about when they can expect a final decision or about what stage of the process their application is at.
- CAM is a critical lifeline for children separated from their families to be reunited in safety in the United States. The U.S. government can and MUST rebuild the CAM Program to be efficient, accessible & transparent. #CAMCantWait #FamiliesBelongTogether https://bit.ly/CAMCoalitionLetter
Twitter Thread (Overview of Policy Recommendations)
- It’s been two years since the Biden administration reopened the Central American Minors (CAM) Program. What should the administration do to help these kids? A thread 🧵
- The admin should: increase and expand funding to ensure eligible families are aware of the CAM Program and able to apply.
- Add the resources necessary to support CAM families, like staffing, video technology for interviews, and language access to speed up the time it takes for CAM cases to be processed.
- Create a system where families can check the status of their individual case and see average processing times to address the lack of transparency and accountability to CAM families and their advocates around processing timelines and application outcomes.
- Ensure meaningful access to legal assistance to help CAM-eligible children and youth navigate the program. https://cwsglobal.org/npAu6
Additional Resources:
- Talking Points: Central American Minors (CAM) Refugee and Parole Program
- Organizational Sign-On Letter to the Administration about the Central American Minors (CAM) Refugee and Parole Program
- International Refugee Assistance Project: More than Words: Making Good on the Promise of the Central American Minors Refugee and Parole Program
- CWS Backgrounder: Restoring & Strengthening the Central American Minors (CAM) Program
- International Refugee Assistance Project: Mixed Blessing: Guatemalan Experiences under the New Central American Minor’s Program
Thank you for taking action, and please share this alert with your networks!