Should the people’s business of ensuring US sovereignty and following the Rule of Law be conducted in the presence of Senate Staff only with no media present?
And equally important, could the ACLU arrange for a meeting to be held in Room 226 of the Senate Dirksen Building without the explicit knowledge of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin and Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn?
A CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING ON
The Challenges Presented by Unaccompanied Immigrant Children:
What Should Congress Do?
Tuesday, July 8th, 10:30am Senate Dirksen Room 226 (Judiciary Hearing Room)
The US is facing a humanitarian crisis right here on our doorstep. Since October more than 52,000 unaccompanied children and 39,000 families with children have been apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border. Many of these children have fled severe violence and abuse in Central America and have made long, treacherous journeys to the U.S. in search of safety and protection.
To respond to the influx of unaccompanied children, the President is seeking emergency funding and expanded powers to expedite deportations of children back to Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala.
A panel of experts will discuss the President’s request of Congress, and provide context on the violent conditions driving children to flee Central America as well as their treatment upon arrival in the US.
Speakers:
- Kevin Appleby, Director, Office of Migration Policy and Public Affairs, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
- Jennifer Podkul, Senior Program Officer, Migrant Rights and Justice Program, Women’s Refugee Commission
- Stephanie Richard, Policy and Legal Services Director, The Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking
- Leslie Velez, Senior Protection Officer, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
- Wendy Young, President, Kids in Need of Defense
- Royce Bernstein Murray, Director of Policy, National Immigrant Justice Center (Moderator)
The briefing is limited to Senate staff and is closed to media. For more information please contact Joanne Lin (jlin@aclu.org)