Children in Crisis - CWS Response
Unaccompanied children and families need immediate assistance. CWS is asking for an additional $200,000 to provide legal services, spiritual care and other support for vulnerable children. Read the full appeal here.
Legal Services for Unaccompanied Children
CWS will deploy Spanish-speaking legal staff and volunteers to the Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, to interview children and their families and help them understand how to apply for protection. With additional support, CWS also hopes to provide pro-bono legal services throughout the U.S. where children and families are sent after initial screenings.
Spiritual Care for Unaccompanied Children and Families
CWS staff and volunteers current assist with religious services and provide support in a detention facility in Artesia, New Mexico. With additional resources, we will establish a similar presence in other detention centers, matching federally funded services with private contributions.
Showing Hospitality to Arriving Children and Families
CWS is receiving troubling reports that children and families are being dropped off after their initial screening in potentially vulnerable spaces, such as parking lots and bus stops. Funds are urgently required to meet immediate needs including food, water, clothing, diapers, medical care, housing and bus tickets for those being left without any support.
Here's how you can help:
Donate
Make a secure, online gift using the form on this page. Your generous help will support our response to the crisis with unaccompanied children and families.
Advocate
Call your Members of Congress and demand that they reject rollbacks to child protection law.
President Obama and some Members of Congress are proposing to weaken important legal protections for vulnerable children. This is wrong. We cannot allow thousands of children to be put at greater risk.
Get informed
The number of unaccompanied children fleeing violence in Central America and entering the United States has grown to more than 57,000 so far in fiscal year 2014. More than 300 are reported to be crossing into the U.S. daily. This crisis requires a robust humanitarian response.
Check out these resources for more information:
- UNHCR Report on Why Children are Leaving
- Interfaith Immigration Coalition Resources on Unaccompanied Children
- The U.S. Must Ensure Protection of Unaccompanied Children and Adequate Funding for Refugee Resettlement (CWS statement)
- Do Not Undermine Legal Protection for Vulnerable Children and Families (news release)
- CWS Responds to President Obama's Announcements on Immigration (news release)
For Additional Advocacy and Congregational Involvement Resources, Click here.
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