Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 1 June 2019
Advocates decry delays in release of migrant kids

Honduras said he had
problems videoconferenc-
ing with the social worker
handling his reunification
on two separate occa-
sions, as the company be-
gan hiring clinicians and
case managers to work
long-distance.
“Sometimes there are prob-
lems with the Internet, and I
have to cut my call short or
not talk to her at all and re-
turn another time,” he told
attorneys.
A Guatemalan girl said she
didn’t speak any Spanish,
only her native Maya lan-
guage of Q’eqchi, when
she arrived, and she had
troubles understanding her
social worker.
In the same filings, a fed-
eral field specialist for the
U.S. government’s Office
of Refugee Resettlement
said the goal is “safe, timely
release” but there can be
delays, for example, when
sponsors can’t read and
write. And when there’s no
proof of a prior relationship,
the sponsor is automatical-
In this April 19, 2019 file photo, Children line up to enter a tent at the Homestead Temporary Shelter for Unaccompanied Children ly disqualified, the specialist
in Homestead, Fla. said, adding “the bottom
Associated Press line is always safety.”
By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON also told to heed strict rules while waiting to be placed relatives who are already in In several occasions, chil-
and AMY TAXIN or it could prolong their with another aunt in Virgin- the country. dren were flown from Flori-
Associated Press detention or get them de- ia. He was punched in the The court filing included da to Texas locations prom-
MIAMI (AP) — Immigrant ported. “At Homestead, face by a boy at the facil- testimonials from more ising they would be reunit-
advocates say the U.S. children are housed in ity but said he didn’t see than a dozen children who ed with a parent, only to
government is allowing mi- prison-like conditions and a doctor or tell his mother, had been separated from be flown back and booked
grant children at a Florida unnecessarily incarcerated out of fear she would wor- parents last year before again into the facility.
facility to languish in “pris- for up to several months ry more. “Already it is very the Trump administration A Guatemalan child ex-
on-like conditions” after without being determined hard. We both cry on the ended a policy that led to pressed willingness to leave
crossing the U.S.-Mexico to be flight risks or a danger phone,” he told attorneys. more than 2,700 children the U.S. voluntarily only to
border instead of releasing to themselves or others,” “I have not seen my mom being taken from families. be told that a legal depart-
them promptly to family as said the motion filed by the or any family for so long.” Others, who had crossed ment would need to get
required by federal rules. National Center for Youth The children’s allegations the U.S.-Mexico border in involved. “It is hard for me
A court filing Friday re- Law and other organiza- come as officials struggle the past few months, came to understand what is pre-
vealed conditions inside tions in federal court in Los to accommodate increas- alone or with relatives such venting me from joining my
the Homestead, Florida, fa- Angeles. ing numbers of minors ille- as aunts, uncles, siblings family,” the child said.
cility that has become the Dozens of volunteer law- gally crossing the U.S.-Mexi- and were also separated A Salvadoran boy who
nation’s biggest location yers, interpreters and other co border. The Homestead and placed in government said he left his country in
for detaining immigrant legal workers interviewed facility, run by a private custody. January fleeing violence
children. A decades-old more than 70 child mi- contractor, houses 2,200 The Trump administra- said children at the facility
settlement governing the grants at Homestead dur- minors and is expanding to tion has long complained can’t touch anyone or fight
care of detained immigrant ing several visits over the add hundreds of beds.The about the 1997 settlement, or they could get a report
children calls for them to past year. The U.S. Depart- U.S. Department of Health which generally means the that will delay their case.
be released to family mem- ment of Health and Hu- and Human Services did government should release He told lawyers that staff
bers, sponsors or other lo- man Services does not al- not respond to requests for children in about 20 days. told them they would be
cations within 20 days, but low news media to speak comment. The private con- The names of the children deported if they tried to es-
the court filing accuses to children at guided tours tractor, Comprehensive were redacted, but they cape. He said he couldn’t
the government of keep- of the facility. A Honduran Health Services, declined testified being there for speak with his parents on
ing kids there for months in boy described arriving with comment. weeks, or months, without his 17th birthday since he
some cases. an aunt at the Mexico bor- Many of the children are knowing when they would had already used one of
The children detained at der in December. She was fleeing gang and domestic be released. A girl told at- his twice weekly 10-minute
the facility said they longed deported and he was sent violence and will end up torneys she and her sister phone calls the day before.
to be released to their par- to Homestead, where he seeking asylum. Most are were at the same facility “I miss them, and even
ents and other relatives in told attorneys he had been sent to live with sponsors but kept in separate areas though today is my birth-
the United States and were held for four months. He once they are screened by and only allowed to see day, it is hard because they
allowed limited phone calls could speak to his mother the U.S. government, usu- each other once a week. can’t call me and I can’t

to loved ones. Some were in Honduras twice a week ally aunts or uncles or other A 14-year-old boy from call them,” he said.q