May 23, 2016 — The International Rescue Committee (IRC) strongly denounces the immigration raids targeting Central American children and families planned by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The IRC works to help children in Central America who are fleeing violence resettle in the United States as refugees, and our staff have heard countless testimonies of Central American parents here in the U.S. who fear for their child’s safety due to rising violence. The planned raids will inevitably force children and their parents to return to communities where they will face risks to their lives, and will do nothing to deter other refugees fleeing that same violence from seeking sanctuary at the U.S. border.
Central America now faces a refugee crisis. Hundreds of thousands of people from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala have been displaced internally and across borders due to widespread violence. Individuals and families fleeing this type of violence are refugees and deserving of protection by the United States under our laws.
The IRC denounces the use of raids on this vulnerable population, particularly given their high eligibility rate for asylum and lack of access to counsel. Data released by DHS demonstrated that 88 percent of the Central American mothers and children detained were found to have a credible fear of persecution and therefor eligible for asylum. Unfortunately, many of those deserving protection lack the access to counsel necessary to establish their claim. Since 2014, 86 percent of Central Americans deported in expedited proceedings lacked legal representation. The immigration raids only compound this problem.
The United States has long championed the rights of refugees. Returning vulnerable children and their families to persecution and violence in Central America runs contrary to American values. For these reasons, the IRC urges the administration to halt the planned raids and extend protection to Central American children and families seeking safety in our country.