Latino Parents & Children
The purpose of this section is to educate community members about the complex problems associated with deportations, and to help service providers encourage and assist Latino parents in preparing for immigration detention/deportation and to respond to the needs of their children, who are typically US born citizens.
2008 was a year when immigration officials stepped up efforts to seize and deport undocumented immigrants, particularly affecting the Latino population, and by 2011 deportations were at an all-time high. Concerns and ideas from the 2008 CJ Workshop “Latino Children & Detentions” led to the creation of this section of the CJ website, and in 2011 CJ dedicated four workshops to the topic of immigration enforcement and its effects on our community.
Deportation and Immigrant Family Preparedness Checklist (December 2011)
CJ’s Law Enforcement Work Group has created a Deportation and Immigrant Family Preparedness Checklist to be distributed to area immigrant families and the service providers working with them. Available in both English and Spanish, this two page, easy to follow document details the steps immigrant families should take to prepare for the possibility of the detention or deportation of a family member, as well as guidance on what to do if a family member is detained. Please share and review this document with your friends and clients who are at risk of being separated from their family members due to immigration enforcement.
PDF in English: http://cj-network.org/cj/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/CJ_DeportationChecklist2011_Eng.pdf
PDF in Spanish: http://cj-network.org/cj/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/CJ_DeportationChecklist2011_Span.pdf
Shattered Families: The Perilous Intersection of Immigration Enforcement and the Child Welfare System (November 2011)
The Applied Research Center spent a year researching the effects of immigration enforcement on families and the complications the system imposes on family reunification. ARC found that in the first six months of 2011, the federal government removed more than 46,000 mothers and fathers of U.S.-born children. As a consequence, at least 5,100 children of deported immigrants are currently living in foster care, with minimal chances of being reunited with their parents. Access the report at: http://arc.org/shatteredfamilies (available in English and Spanish). View a short video summary (4:53) of Shattered Families at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XZrI35EmBRc.
Families and the Experience of Heightened Immigration Enforcement (November 2011)
This CJ Workshop facilitated by CJ’s Early Childhood Work Group brought Juan Manuel Pedroza from the Urban Institute’s Center for Labor, Human Services, and Population to present on the damaging effects of immigration raids, detention, and deportations on children, families, and communities. View his presentation and a local Latina’s account of the effects of her brother’s deportation shared at the workshop at: http://cj-network.org/cj/cj-initiatives/what-cj-has-done/2011-initiatives/families-and-the-experience-of-heightened-immigration-enforcement/.
Children Of The Undocumented (December 2010)
This Urban Institute forum discusses the demographics of the children of the undocumented, explores the developmental and educational challenges they face, examines social and cultural barriers to integration, and debates how public policy and agencies can foster a healthy atmosphere for children living and learning here. Listen to the webcast at http://www.urban.org/events/Children-of-the-undocumented.cfm?
Deportation 101 Manual (December 2010)
This is a Community Resource on Anti-Deportation Education and Organizing created by Families for Freedom and members of the Detention Watch Network, . Access the Deportation 101 Manual at: http://www.familiesforfreedom.org/deportation-101-manual
In The Child’s Best Interest? The Consequences of Losing A Lawful Immigrant Parent to Deportation (March 2010)
According to a report from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Davis, the U.S. has deported the lawful immigrant parents of nearly 88,000 citizen children in just a decade. The report finds that forced removal of lawful permanent resident parents (or green card holders) convicted of relatively minor crimes can lead to psychological harm, behavioral changes, and disruptions in the health and education of tens of thousands of citizen children. Drastic revisions to U.S. immigration laws in 1996 have led to large numbers of deported lawful permanent residents (LPRs) who now make up nearly 10 percent of immigrants deported from the U.S. More than 68 percent of this group is deported for minor crimes, including driving under the influence, simple assault, and non-violent drug offenses. The report also makes a number of recommendations. Access it at: http://www.law.ucdavis.edu/news/images/childsbestinterest.pdf
This Urban Institute report examines the consequences of parental arrest, detention, and deportation on 190 children in 85 families in six locations, providing in-depth details on parent-child separations, economic hardships, and children’s well-being. The contentious immigration debates around the country mostly revolve around illegal immigration. Less visible have been the 5.5 million children with unauthorized parents, almost three-quarters of whom are U.S.-born citizens. Over several years, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intensified enforcement activities through large-scale worksite arrests, home arrests, and arrests by local law enforcement. The report provides recommendations for stakeholders to mitigate the harmful effects of immigration enforcement on children. http://www.urban.org/publications/412020.html
Deportation Manual (2009)
The Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice published a Deportation Manual providing an excellent overview of the issues relating to deportation. While the information in the Appendix is for the Southeast and doesn’t apply in the Cville area, the 26 page document is full of useful information. Access it at: http://alabamaappleseed.org/publications/Immigration/Deportation%20Guide%20Final.pdf
Immigration attorney Eddie Summers has been working with Legal Aid Justice Center interns to develop bilingual power of attorney and guardianship documents that service providers can circulate to Latino families to help them deal with the complications of possible detentions. For more information, contact Eddy at es@ocho.com or (434) 220-2799.
El PAK: Paquete de Preparación Para la Acción
PAK: Preparation for Action Kit (December 2007)
North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, Hispanic and Latino Division
This bilingual comprehensive guideline (43 pages) Preparation for Action Kit (PAK), helps Latinos prepare for deportation in ways to protect their children and assets. http://ncatl.org/file_depot/0-10000000/0-10000/9208/folder/37745/icepak.pdf
Deportation Preparation Checklist (English – Spanish)
North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, Hispanic and Latino Division June 2007
http://ncatl.org/file_depot/0-10000000/0-10000/9208/folder/37745/DeportationChecklist.pdf
Severing a Lifeline: The Neglect of Citizen Children in America’s Immigration Enforcement Policy (March 2009)
This report summarizes the issues surrounding the impact of the current immigration system – specifically raids and removals – on US citizen children. The report brings together many issues such as the failure of ICE to fully take into account humanitarian needs in raids, the trauma to US children from home raids, the fact that the immigration court and system give virtually no weight to the effect of removal on US citizen children, and the likelihood of the US children being effectively deported along with their families.” http://www.dorsey.com/probono_severing_lifeline Removals Involving Illegal Alien Parents of U.S. Citizen Children (January 2009) The Homeland Security report indicates that between 1998 and 2007, the US conducted 2,199,138 alien removals, and 108,434 of those aliens were parents of U.S. citizen children.
http://serrano.house.gov/media/PDFs/dhs_study_parent_removals.pdf
The Child Citizen Protection Act, H.R. 182 (January 2009)
This bill would untie the hands of immigration judges to take family situations into account during deportation proceedings. Currently, an immigration judge cannot balance family unity against deportation requirements. In many cases, this has led to one or both parents of child citizens being deported; forcing them to either leave the child behind or take the child to a country he or she never knew. The bill “ Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act, in the case of an alien subject to removal, deportation, or exclusion who is the parent of a U.S. citizen child, to authorize an immigration judge to decline to order such removal if the judge determines that such action is against the child’s best interests.” http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h182/show
DREAM Act
This Federal legislation would provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented children who graduate from high school and attend college or serve in the US military. It was defeated, largely by Republican congressmen, in late 2010. Advocates are still working towards the reform. Fact sheets and other references are at http://www.nilc.org/immlawpolicy/dream/index.htm
I’m American! They’re Not! (2008)
This documentary by Linda Ellerbee, Nick News, is about immigrant parents who come to America without documents and are deported, while their children, born here, are American citizens who can’t be sent back to their parent’s country of origin (Mexico). Children, parents, immigration officials and others comment on the complex issue, which is at once touchy, political and emotional. View the 25 minute video at:
http://www.nick.com/videos/clip/im-american-theyre-not-full-episode.html
Creciendo Juntos (CJ): Immigrant Detentions and Latino Children
A reference sheet from the CJ October 2008 panel: Immigration Detentions and Children
Immigration raids impact local families. A Cville weekly report that includes coverage of the CJ October 2008 panel. http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=141404064431134&ShowArticle_ID=11801510084183702
Group Urges Latino Immigrants to Prepare
This two minute NBC29 video report and transcript is about the CJ October 2008 panel urging local service providers to urge undocumented Latino parents to prepare for detention. http://www.nbc29.com/Global/story.asp?S=9153559
Living in the United States: A Guide for Immigrant Youth (2008)
This guide covers legal status (what rights you have if you are a US citizen, a permanent resident, or illegal), how to become a citizen, how to get legal papers, deportation issues, adoption issues, Selective Service, voting, taxes, college, etc. Although aimed at older kids, it provides a concise overview of a number of issues that are probably of interest to folks who work with these families, like who qualifies as a special immigrant and what the rules are on joining the military, paying taxes, voting, getting public assistance, etc.
Source: Immigrant Legal Resource Center
Spanish: http://www.ilrc.org/for_immigrants/pdf/Vivir_en_los_Estados_Unidos.pdf
English: http://www.ilrc.org/immigration_law/pdf/Youth_Handbook_English.pdf
Undocumented Immigrant Youth: Guide for Advocates and Service Providers (2007)
Outlines the risks and obstacles that undocumented immigrant youth face in both the immigration and juvenile justice systems. The brief also recommends policies and actions that immigration advocates, youth advocates, and service providers could adopt to improve the safety and well-being of immigrant youth.
Source: National Collaboration for Youth and National Juvenile Justice Network
English: http://gcir.org/system/files/ImmigrationBrief.pdf
How Can I Find the Parent?
Click here for a list of area immigration detention centers and click here for a directory of them which includes contact information, visiting hours, etc. Many Charlottesville detainees are first held at the Regional Jail (434) 977-6981.
Who Do I Call at Albemarle County Schools?
If you know of a Latino child who attends an Albemarle School and whose parents have been detained, please call Trish Moya, or her secretary Nancy Lam, at Albemarle County Schools: (434) 296-6517.
Paying the Price: The Impact of Immigration Raids on America’s Children.
Since 2007, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has intensified immigration enforcement activities by conducting several large-scale worksite raids across the country. From an in-depth study of three communities—Greeley, CO, Grand Island, NE and New Bedford, MA—this Urban Institute report (October 2007) details the impact of these worksite raids on the well-being of children. The report provides detailed recommendations to a variety of stakeholders to help mitigate the harmful effects of worksite raids on children. http://www.urban.org/publications/411566.html
The Traumatic Nature of Separation. Presentation of Charlottesville mental health therapist Michael Garcia during the CJ Panel (October 2008), Immigration Detentions & Latino Children.
What Mental Health Services Are Available for Latino Parents and Children?
Michel Garcia, a Charlottesville bilingual and bicultural therapist, has experience working with parents and children who may be fearful of a potential detention or dealing with the burdens of an actual detention. He can be reached at (434) 981-7249. Other bilingual therapists working with Latinos can be found in the CJ Mental Health Directory at: http://www.cj-network.org/resource.html
Helping immigrant and refugee students succeed: It¹s not just what happens in the classroom (2009)
Problematic behaviors exhibited by students have a direct impact on student success and the importance of engaging families for student academic achievement has been well documented. The challenges are more pronounced among immigrant and refugee students and their families. An eight page publication from the George Washington University’s Center for Health and Health Care in Schools addresses them.
http://healthinschools.org/Immigrant-and-Refugee-Children/~/media/Files/PDF/FINAL%20Revised%20Kappan%20article%2011-13-09.ashx
English: Living in the United States: A Guide for Immigrant Youth (August 2008)
http://www.ilrc.org/resources/sijs/Youth_Handbook_English.pdf
Spanish: Living in the United States: A Guide for Immigrant Youth (July 2008)
http://ilrc.org/resources/sijs/Youth_Handbook_Spanish.pdf
ELLs and the Law: Statutes, Precedents
These are among the cases and laws that scholars and advocates consider landmarks in the area of the rights of language-minority and immigrant students. http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/01/08/17law.h28.html