April 1, 2019
In response to the arrival of increasing numbers of unaccompanied children and families at the U.S.’ Southern border in recent months, the Trump Administration last week requested that Congress enact immediate changes to the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (TVPRA) to allow the government to quickly return unaccompanied children to their countries of origin in an effort to deter children from coming to the United States.
Repeatedly mischaracterized by the Administration as “loopholes” the TVPRA’s protections are in reality the product of deliberate, bipartisan action recognizing the vulnerability of children traveling alone to human trafficking and other forms of exploitation. The Act’s provisions create basic procedures to ensure the appropriate treatment of children in the immigration system and to enhance the ability of our legal system to sort through the cases of children defending themselves against removal in an orderly and efficient manner.
This resource explains exactly what TVPRA is and how it works to protect unaccompanied migrant and refugee children.
