LIRS TO CONGRESS: END FAMILY SEPARATION
AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO SAFEGUARD THE WELL-BEING OF UNACCOMPANIED MIGRANT CHILDREN
Amid widespread reports of negligence, abuse and deaths of migrant children in U.S. detention facilities, Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President & CEO of Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service (LIRS), today addressed the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, calling for immediate action to ensure the safety and well-being of unaccompanied migrant children under the care of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Vignarajah unveiled a series of recommendations, including urging Congress to require all large-scale influx shelters, such as the notorious Homestead facility, to adhere to strict, well-established child-welfare standards, including employing appropriate child-welfare professionals who are vetted and licensed. Watch her testimony below.
The full list of recommendations is available here.