Washington, D.C.—Church World Service today celebrated a ruling from the Central District Court of California approving a motion to remove unaccompanied children from inhumane outdoor encampments. In the ruling by Judge Dolly Gee, the Court found that as the children are legally in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security, the housing conditions violate the Flores settlement by not providing them with safe and sanitary conditions, proper food, nor expedited immigration processing. CWS calls on Customs and Border Patrol, who are in charge of the sites, to swiftly carry out the Court’s ruling and provide these vulnerable children with the compassion they have long sought within the United States.
“The Court’s ruling upholds what common sense and decency made obvious, housing minors in outdoor camps, without the basic necessities of decent food and shelter, is immoral and beneath our country. Unaccompanied minors come to the United States seeking safety and protection, all they ask for is a chance to live with dignity and without fear,” said Christine Lemonda, Senior Director for Children’s Services at CWS. ”We hope CBP will act quickly to get these children to where they should be, in supportive homes, in loving communities, and on the path to brighter future.”
The ruling follows a motion filed by the National Center for Youth Law (NCYL), the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law (CHRCL), and Children’s Rights.
Through CWS’s Home Study and Post Release Services (HSPRS) program, the organization and its network of providers nationwide work with these children and their caregivers. Some children will require a home visit to their proposed caregiver, prior to reunification, to confirm it is safe and the caregiver is prepared to meet their needs. Other children will be reunified and receive in-home case management, Post Release Services (PRS), once they are already residing in the community with their caregiver. CWS caseworkers work with children and their caregivers to create a plan together that identifies their goals – finishing school, obtaining immigration legal status or connecting to other community support systems – and how CWS can support them in obtaining them.
For more information about the Central District Court’s ruling or about the HSPRS program, contact media@cwsglobal.org.