NEW YORK – Un estudio reciente encontró que cada vez más niños de los Estados Unidos terminan en lugares de cuidados cuando sus padres indocumentados son detenidos. Esto desentona con la nueva política de Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Legalidad en Inmigración y Aduanas) – ICE – creada con la intención de reducir la cantidad de personas no criminales que son blanco de deportaciones.

Se suponía que con la aplicación de tales procedimientos migratorios, implementados este año, cambiaría el rumbo de los esfuerzos de deportación para apuntarlos ahora hacia criminales peligrosos. Pero un nuevo estudio revela que las prioridades recién establecidas no están logrando cambiar la política migratoria de la administración Obama, que ha elevado a niveles sin precedentes el número de deportaciones.

En opinión de Seth Wessler, autor del estudio e investigador titular en el Aplied Research Center (Centro de Investigación Aplicada), quienes pagan el precio son las familias.

"Uno de los múltiples efectos colaterales de esta política es que los niños están atrapados en casas de cuidado, separados de sus familias en ocasiones para siempre. A veces estos niños jamás vuelven a ver a sus familias."

Dice que al menos 5 mil niños ciudadanos de los Estados Unidos están actualmente separados de sus padres indocumentados y agrega que 15 mil más terminarán en un sitio de cuidados en los cinco próximos años, si las cosas no cambian. De todas las regiones estudiadas por la investigación, el Valle Río Grande de Texas tiene el porcentaje más elevado de niños en casas de cuidados, cuyos padres fueron detenidos o deportados. El Paso ocupa un cercano segundo lugar.

Este verano, cuando el Department of Homeland Security (Departamento de Seguridad Interior) anunció sus nuevas prioridades, se mantuvo en su meta de deportar 400 mil personas cada año. El resultado ha sido que, a nivel local, los oficiales de inmigración y del orden público han ido adaptando sus procedimientos para acomodarlos a los nuevos lineamientos federales, de acuerdo a Wessler, por lo que esas violaciones rutinarias de migración ahora están siendo clasificadas como criminales.

"Hay un temor creciente en las comunidades de inmigrantes, de que cualquier contacto con la policía local termine en deportación. Eso es poner a las comunidades y a las familias en grave riesgo."

Dice que hasta las mujeres que han reportado violencia intrafamiliar a la policía han sido deportadas o detenidas a cientos de millas de sus hijos, sólo por carecer de documentación.

El estudio detectó poca coordinación entre las autoridades de migración y los servicios de beneficencia infantil. Wessler dice que para los padres detenidos resulta imposible seguir los pasos legales necesarios para reunirse con sus hijos, lo cual frecuentemente hace que las agencias familiares y los jueces opten por la suspensión definitiva de los derechos de paternidad.

"Todos opinan que los niños están mejor con sus familias que en una casa de cuidados. Pero cuando un padre es deportado ese principio, ese compromiso con la unidad familiar, simplemente sale por la puerta."

El reporte hace un llamado para encontrar soluciones comunitarias que mantengan unidas a las familias, y una revisión de las políticas federales para garantizar que se jerarquicen las prioridades migratorias, que hoy por hoy se enfocan en los criminales menos significativos.

Para conocer el estudio completo, visite http://arc.org/shatteredfamilies.


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Advocates for immigrants are pushing back on a bill signed by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds in the last few days of the legislative session, modeled on a recent, controversial Texas law.

Senate File 2340 gives local law enforcement officers and judges the authority to deport undocumented immigrants.

Erica Johnson, executive director of the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, argued the bill is an overreach, and said Iowa law enforcement officers are not authorized to enforce it.

"This is a pretty clear intervention into federal territory," Johnson pointed out. "U.S. immigration law is governed by federal law."

Much like the author of the Texas bill, supporters in Iowa blame the Biden administration for failing to slow illegal immigration, so the state has decided to take matters into its own hands.

Johnson contended the bill and other anti-immigrant sentiment during the just-completed legislative session target the very people Iowa, with its dwindling population, will depend on for its future workforce.

"What we need is communities that are safe, where workers have access to dignified, safe workplaces," Johnson emphasized. "The truth of what Iowa's future could be depends on immigrants and immigrant workers in our state, and unfortunately, this law could take us back, away from that possible future. "

Johnson added her organization will pursue legal ways to block the bill from taking effect in July.


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The future of Senate Bill 4 is still tangled in court challenges. It's the Texas law that would allow police to arrest people for illegally crossing the border. But groups are speaking out about the impact of "Operation Lone Star" on the youngest migrants. Governor Greg Abbott continues to bus migrant families to other states, many with young children - more than 100,000 families so far.

Robert Sanborn, CEO of Children at Risk, works to improve the quality of life for boys and girls in Texas, and contends the policy has put trauma on top of trauma.

"We never want children to be political pawns. We don't want maximum chaos on the backs of children. We want children to grow up and be assets for our community," he contended.

Sanborn points out that 2.2 million children in Texas are immigrants, and said it would be less stressful for kids if families were not bused in the middle of the night, and if they were allowed to pick their destination.

When immigrants arrive at the border, they are evaluated to determine if they're eligible for asylum.

Beatriz Zavala, clinical coordinator at El Paso-based Humanitarian Outreach for Migrant Emotional Health, or "HOME," said the children in this situation are at higher risk for mental health disorders.

"What is particularly troubling is the profound disregard for the stability and protection these families need. The impact on their mental health is undeniable. These are not just statistics. These are children, real children," she said.

As part of Operation Lone Star, families have been bused to Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. The governor has said the practice is needed to keep the Texas-Mexico border safe.


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Legislation in Albany would create the first right to counsel for people in immigration court.

The Access to Representation Act would provide immigrants the right to an attorney in their New York immigration cases, ending the tendency to represent themselves if they cannot afford one.

Estimates show a backlog of more than 330,000 immigration court cases, and fewer than half have attorneys. Studies show without legal counsel, migrants are less likely to remain in the U.S.

Marlene Galaz, director of immigrant rights policy for the New York Immigration Coalition, described what the bill would do.

"It has a six-year ramp-up to start implementing and building infrastructure," Galaz outlined. "Having a pipeline between law schools for law students to go into immigration practice, and getting to nonprofits and so on."

Galaz noted most opposition centers around the $150 million to fund the program but pointed out the total expenditure is less than 1% of the state's $229 billion budget. She added anti-immigrant rhetoric has also damaged support for the bill. Currently, it is in the state Senate Finance Committee.

The New York City Comptroller's office said enacting the bill would benefit the state financially. It could keep about 53,000 people from being deported, which would result in almost $8.5 billion in local, state and federal taxes over the next 30 years.

Galaz emphasized the influx of migrants has saturated the court system, leading to what could have been an avoidable backlog.

"I firmly believe that if these investments had been made when we first asked for them, I believe, like, three years ago, then we wouldn't be struggling," Galaz contended. "We would have had the infrastructure built to address an increase in welcoming our newest neighbors."

A Vera Institute survey showed 93% of New Yorkers across party lines and regions support access to attorneys for all people, including those in immigration court, and government-funded attorneys for them.


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