Immigrant Daily

Appleseed for Protecting Immigrant Children in Custody

A non-profit network of 16 public interest centers in the U.S. and Mexico, Appleseed is gearing up to protect the rights of thousands of immigrant children living in the U.S. – whether asylum seekers, victims of human trafficking, or in some cases even misidentified American citizens apprehended by the authorities. Most of these children are taken into custody at U.S. ports of entry or along the Mexican border. The idea behind this project is to make sure that Unaccompanied Children (UAM) are treated humanely and are not deprived of due process by the authorities.

As part of its efforts, Appleseed has constituted a team of attorneys generously donated by Mayer Brown, DLA Piper and Akin Gump for conducting on-site examinations of detention centers across the country.  These site visits, which will help Appleseed identify and redress problems in the UAM detention system, include facilities inspections; a review of contracts, practices and policies; and interviews with both UAM and staff. Overall, the goals of the Unaccompanied Minors project inter alia includes, ensuring that minors detained by DHS’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are treated in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Flores Settlement Agreement, the Trafficking Act, and all other applicable laws, regulations and orders.

For more information, please click Protecting Immigrant Children In Custody