Our vision is for the state of Texas to offer a welcoming environment for immigrants and refugees where immigrant children can integrate and access the resources they need to learn, grow and thrive. While the diversity of our immigrant community enriches our state, it also adds complexity to the strategies needed to address their varied needs.
The Children’s Immigration Network is CHILDREN AT RISK’s effort to focus on immigrant children. Use the button below to be among the first to read our next quarterly newsletter.
TAKING AN EQUITY APPROACH TO DATA CONSUMPTION
A message from Senior Director, Linda Corchado
Data is powerful.
Data is educational.
For these two reasons alone, data compels an obligation in us to be responsible consumers and advocates.
Take Migration Policy Institute’s most recent report on immigration and integration in the Houston area. We see one profile of immigrant students: immigrants in Houston without a high school diploma comprise 36% of the population, four times higher than the share of U.S. born students. There’s also this, naturalized citizens and non-immigrant visa holders are
more likely than the U.S. born population to have a bachelor’s degree or higher. One set of data gives the perception that immigrants are not high achievers while the other promises high economic gains for Houston’s future. But then, there’s this, from 2017-2021, 67,000 immigrants in Houston with a four-year college degree were underemployed, working in jobs that required no more than a high school education and minimal job training, a phenomenon known as “brain waste.” This includes 3,000 immigrants with health or medical degrees and 4,000 with degrees in education, two sectors with ongoing labor shortages.
One inference that could be made here is that immigrants without durable status or a pathway to citizenship feel dejected by the reality of their undocumented status and the uncertain future it creates, dis-incentivizing their commitment to obtain a high school degree. For those who are naturalized and have a more certain future in Texas, their ambition can be measured by their tenacity to successfully obtain a higher education. But, when we look at brain waste, we know tenacity is not enough, in fact the immigrant work force needs more intentionality for the workforce’s potential to truly unleash.
In this same vein, data compels a duty for our communities to approach information with more deliberation and care. We can take a cue from Congress, where Congressional mandates have established basic ethical principles that should underlie the conduct of behavioral research, embodied in the Belmont Report, which outlines three key principles on data: respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. This inspires deeper values set in us all, one being that individuals should be treated as autonomous agents and when that autonomy is diminished, these individuals are entitled to protection.
The reality is that all immigrant lives are dictated by the freedom and autonomy that comes with durable legal status in the U.S. The availability and accessibility of pathways to citizenship, to them and their loved ones, are outcome determinative to educational success.
But, if we endeavor to be catalysts for change for immigrant families in Texas, we should also heed a higher call. Here, we must dig deeper to understand how autonomy is diminished in the lives of immigrant families both in the classroom and in the workforce and our role to nevertheless, aspire for systems change that would provide them greater protection when their autonomy is weakened.
In many ways, this is a key principle at the heart of the Children’s Immigration Network, taking the reality of the immigrant experience and creating greater networks of support and protection, guided by key principles of beneficence and justice for all children.
DATA PROFILE
Understanding the history of the US-Mexico Border, by Lindsey Wilkson (Director, Health & Special Projects)
Data plays an important role in understanding a population, from the challenges faced, to policy recommendations. The dynamics at the U.S.-Mexico border remain a piece of rhetoric that is used in pro- and overwhelming anti-immigrant friendly policies. In order to better understand what is currently happening at our southern border, it is important to know the context and history of U.S. border enforcement. A recent MPI report delves into this history.
From the 80s to present day, the primary challenge and therefore the focus of government policy has changed due to the shifts in the types of asylum seekers that enter the U.S. From the 80s to the 2010s the majority of asylum seekers were single adults seeking jobs. This shifted to Central American children and families in the mid-2010s which led to new challenges and a struggle to adapt policies and structures to meet the changing needs.
The arrival of unaccompanied children and Central American families who sought out Border Patrol to make their asylum claims rather than evade apprehension produced stress on the system that had not been made to support this level of engagement. Border Patrol was created to apprehend those who sought entry undetected into the U.S and not process asylum seekers. This new type of migrant has overwhelmed the preexisting system structure, creating inefficiencies, and appalling treatment of children and families.
With the number of apprehensions beginning to increase in 2017, the Trump administration implemented some of the most aggressive immigration laws in recent history. A lack of department coordination led to chaos and adverse outcomes for children and families. This did not stem the flow of migrants, as intended, which then led to another series of aggressive policy changes which reduced apprehensions from almost 150,000 in May 2019 to just over 50,000 in September of the same year.
This leads us to the Biden administration which has pivoted from attempting to make good on campaign promises to reintroducing more restrictive policies. The U.S.-Mexico Border continues to be a flashpoint for politicians and voters across the country however, with widespread media attention also comes misinformation and misunderstanding of the issues.
To learn more about the history of the U.S.-Mexico Border, read MPI’s report Migration at the U.S.-Mexico Border here and more about current immigration enforcement here.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
CHILDREN AT RISK and Partners Across Texas Host Series of Press Conferences in Response on SB 4
Introduced in the 4th special session, SB 4 is a stark departure from core values that promote child protection and welfare. SB4 poses severe risks to the fundamental rights of children, impacting communities across Texas. CHILDREN AT RISK, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and families, is raising awareness about the potential consequences of the recently passed SB 4 in Texas. The organization is coming together with community leaders that serve the immigrant community to stand together in support and ensure the community they will not waver in their commitment to serve.
SB 4 grants unprecedented power to peace officers and magistrate judges and has raised alarms from advocates and community leaders across our state. CHILDREN AT RISK strongly believes that the provisions of this bill have the potential to traumatize children in ways that no anti-immigrant legislation has ever done before.
“We are deeply concerned about the implications of SB 4 on the lives of children in our communities,” said Dr. Bob Sanborn, President & CEO. “We believe in a just and compassionate society where the well-being of children is prioritized. We urge lawmakers and community members to consider the harm this bill may inflict on children and work towards more inclusive and equitable solutions.”
CHILDREN AT RISK has identified several key concerns regarding the effects of SB 4:
1.) All children are vulnerable to prosecution under the bill, making children susceptible to expulsion, detention, and separation from their families. The power of peace officers to arrest children, even if they are U.S. citizens, could lead to significant disruption in their lives and education.
2. The bill allows for children to be expelled to Mexico under its return orders provision, increasing their vulnerability to dangers such as sex trafficking and violence. CHILDREN AT RISK firmly believes that no child should be subjected to such harm and cruelty.
3. Currently, there are no established processes or protocols for peace officers, law enforcement officials or magistrate judges to follow when separating a U.S. citizen child from their undocumented caregiver. This lack of guidance could result in further distress, harm, and confusion for these vulnerable children. CHILDREN AT RISK firmly believes that no child should be subjected to family separation.
4. CHILDREN AT RISK acknowledges the potential for persistent and systematic racial profiling under SB 4, incidents, which studies show, can have detrimental effects on a child’s brain development. It is crucial to protect the emotional well-being and future of all children, regardless of their immigration status.