Reject Rollbacks to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act


March 3, 2015

URGENT: Call the House Judiciary Committee Today!

En Español

Tomorrow the House Judiciary Committee will begin consideration on multiple bills that would unduly inflict harm upon families and unaccompanied children fleeing violence by expanding immigration detention, limiting access to due process, and creating additional bars to prevent access to our asylum and trafficking protection systems.

Two of these bills, H.R. 1149 the Protection of Children Act and H.R. 1153 the Asylum Reform and Border Protection Act, propose rollbacks to the bipartisan Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) of 2008. The TVPRA passed both chambers of Congress by unanimous consent and was signed into law by President Bush to address our international obligations of not returning vulnerable migrants to danger and to reduce the likelihood that the U.S. would deport children back into the hands of traffickers and others who would exploit them.

Children fleeing violence from Central America are escaping gang violence, sexual and gender-based violence, forced recruitment, domestic violence, and are often victims of trafficking. Children fleeing for their lives will not be deterred by punitive legislation designed to persuade them not to come to the U.S. by eroding important human rights protections. The U.S. must show leadership by finding ways to reduce the violence these children face in their home countries, rather than immorally attempting to deport them more quickly.

This heartbreaking story, shared by a partner of a Jesuit social center in Honduras is one of many that shows why these children need access to protection: After “Leticia” was raped by over a dozen gang members, she and her family reported the crime to the police. They immediately began to receive death threats. In the absence of any protection, and likely complicity by police in the gang’s terror campaign, the local partner attempted to relocate Leticia to a women’s shelter. The shelter refused to take the case because of fear that they would not be able to protect either Leticia or their other beneficiaries from the gang. In the end to protect Leticia from further harm, she had to be sent to another country.

Call 1-866-940-2439 to be connected with the offices of House Judiciary Committee Members.

Here’s a sample script:

“As a person of faith, I urge Representative (NAME) to OPPOSE any rollbacks to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Children fleeing violence should not be returned to unsafe situations, but must be protected and cared for humanely.

I urge the Representative to oppose any proposal that reduces protections for migrant children, creates barriers for asylum seekers, and expands the use of immigration detention for children, including H.R. 1153 The Asylum Reform and Border Protection Act, and H.R. 1149 The Protection of Children Act. I urge the Representative to instead support legislation that protects vulnerable migrants and refugees seeking protection in the U.S. The U.S. must find ways to reduce the violence these children face in their home countries and ensure that children who arrive to the U.S. have access to the legal counsel and services they need.”

Keep up the pressure on social media!

Find Your Representative’s Twitter name on their website (www.house.gov) to urge Congress to oppose proposals that would hurt unaccompanied children by tweeting @[their twitter name]:

Samples tweets:

  • .@SpeakerBoehner As a person of faith I urge you to oppose TVPRA changes that would strip protections for migrant children #TheyAreChildren
    (Note: the first period “.” is important)

  • .@SpeakerBoehner People of faith stand against Protection of Children Act & Asylum Reform/Border Prot. Act in any form! #TheyAreChildren 

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