MRS > Migration Policy and Public Affair Office > The Unaccompanied Alien Child
Protection Act of 2000
Statement of Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio
Chairman, NCCB Committee on Migration
September 27, 2000
On behalf of the U.S. Catholic bishops, I applaud the introduction of the Unaccompanied Alien Child Protection Act of 2000, introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Cal.). The U.S. Catholic Conference stands in support of the measure and calls upon Congress to enact it prior to adjournment of the 106th Congress.
In Fiscal Year 1999, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) apprehended approximately 4,600 unaccompanied immigrant minors who entered the United States from abroad. Some were smuggled in, while others entered in small crates on ships or by small rafts or boats. Close to one-half of those apprehended were placed in juvenile detention facilities to await asylum hearings--in some cases for months. The remainder were placed in shelter-care facilities. Many were sent back to their country of origin--in some instances, to countries with deplorable human rights records-- without the benefit of an asylum hearing and without substantial effort to locate parents or guardians.
The Unaccompanied Alien Child Protection Act, if enacted, will place into law important protections for vulnerable children who come into the United States, including the appointment of guardians ad litem for children, guidelines for release of children from detention, and training for adjudicators on how to address children's asylum claims. Our country must employ a national policy which protects children and is governed by the best interest of the child. Because of their special vulnerabilities as children and the special circumstances in which they enter our country--alone and without support--our nation must provide special care to these children, no matter their country of origin.
The Unaccompanied Alien Child Protection Act will help address the needs of all children who cross our borders in search of protection. We urge Congress to enact this legislation as soon as possible.