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Resources and Statement of Support for Migrant Children and Children of Immigrants

Children are our most vulnerable population, which is why MCYJ’s mission centers on protecting and advocating for them. Right now, migrant children and children of immigrants are uniquely vulnerable as aggression and targeting toward immigrant populations increasingly impacts all aspects of their lives. 

 

The decision to ambush parents as they drop their children off at school, take them to appointments, or simply drive them around has created a climate of uncertainty and fear for these children. For migrant children or children of immigrants who are involved with the justice system, these circumstances just exacerbate what is already a fraught and stressful situation. Parents may be afraid to come to court with their child or visit their children in detention, reducing the support that children have available to them. 

 

Detention should not be the first or immediate action for children in any court-related matter, and yet in 2025 alone, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed more than 600 children in immigration detention facilities – more than the total of the four years before that combined. The shift in approach toward immigration has resulted in migrant children or children of immigrants having increased contact with the juvenile justice system, which research shows negatively impacts their graduation rate and social and emotional development. 

 

As children continue to be impacted, we can support them by being aware, being a present witness, and sharing our public resources in case they need to utilize them.

 

Here are some resources you or your neighbors can use: 

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MCYJ is a 501c3 charity (EIN: 38-2108273)

©2020 by Michigan Center for Youth Justice

3810 Packard Rd., Suite 200A

Ann Arbor, MI 48108

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