Describes the plight of unaccompanied children and teenagers fleeing abuse and persecution in their home countries when they enter the immigration system of the United States. Most of the minors are quickly deported, but the few who stay must wait extended periods of time in order to appear before a federal immigration judge. Many are placed in restrictive detention such as juvenile jails, adult prisons, and locked hotel rooms watched over by armed guards. Children have been handcuffed, shackled, and subject to solitary confinement. They often do not have legal representation or any other advocates. Even after the immigration agency was restructured by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and the custody of children was given to the Office of Refugee Resettlement in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), mistreatment continues. Children remain in adult prisons because they are wrongfully classified as adults despite the fact that they have committed no crime. Since asylum seekers with legal representation are more likely to be granted asylum, HHS is trying to establish a network of pro bono lawyers to assist minors. Tension exists between HHS’s mandate to care for the welfare of the children and the detention and deportation function of the Department of Homeland Security. Furthermore, greater emphasis on security issues also causes lengthy delays in processing cases. (IP)
