D.C. Media Notes Children Representation Crisis

The Washington D.C. ABC News affiliate is picking up the crisis at the border, with some fairly in-depth information on the legal representation aspect of the ongoing border crisis of unaccompanied children seeking refuge in the U.S. Says Chanel 7: “The Department of Homeland Security predicts almost 60,000 unaccompanied children will arrive this year at the Southwest border – mostly from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Many of the children are fleeing gang violence and poor economic opportunities. Sixty percent have potential claims for international protection and must have access to the U.S. asylum system, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.”

The report notes a study “analyzing data on 100,000 juvenile cases in immigrant courts [that] found that when a child appeared without a lawyer, nine out of 10 were deported.”