Why the Central American Children Migrants Need Full Adjudication of Their Protection Claims

In response to the dramatic increase in Central American child migrants, Congress and the Administration are considering proposals to scale back or repeal the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (TVPRA). In his latest Huffington Post blog, Donald Kerwin, CMS’s Executive Director, argues that the TVPRA is neither the cause of the crisis, nor would its repeal meaningfully alleviate it. Instead, repeal of the TVPRA would lead to the summary return of many Central American children to perilous situations. The blog addresses the underlying causes of the exodus of children from Center America and misconceptions regarding the TVPRA’s putative magnet effect. It also critiques an intelligence report that attributes the rise in migration to misconceptions related to U.S. immigration development.

Donald Kerwin, “Why the Central American Children Migrants Need Full Adjudication of Their Protection Claims,” Huffington Post (Posted July 19, 2014).