Nikki Myers
San Ysidro, CA/ Tijuana, MX
My main assignment at Al Otro Lado for the past month has been to handle cases for humanitarian parole that deal with unaccompanied minors. An unaccompanied minor is, by definition, a person under 18 years of age crossing the border without a legal parent or guardian. These cases require an additional training by AOL to handle, specifically due to the risks involved with children crossing without adult representation. These cases can get messy when evaluating the presence of human trafficking, and sponsors need to be investigated more thoroughly than with adult cases. For example, a case is likely to be denied if the sponsor was the child’s “coyote” (a term used for individuals who help families cross the border for a fee), or if they are not an immediate family member. These cases are also handled by Child & Family Services instead of Immigration, so that way undocumented parents feel safe to claim their child once they cross into the U.S.
Ending my internship with this assignment has brought together the puzzle pieces of the immigration system in my mind. If the U.S. government understands how important child safety is, and purposefully will circumvent immigration laws to ensure that children are taken care of when they arrive in the U.S., then why isn’t the same protection offered to adults facing gang violence, poverty, and other forms of trafficking? Title 42, the law banning asylum-seekers due to Covid-19, remains in place despite the fact that most public places in the U.S. do not require masks or proof of vaccination anymore.
For children and adults alike, I’ve noticed how essential it is for AOL to offer comprehensive education to migrants about the immigration process and their rights once they cross into the U.S. Many migrants are forced to represent themselves through each step of the process, sometimes among people who don’t even speak their native language. In every step of the process, migrants are given resources for lawyers, education, work permits, and more, which has proven essential in ensuring the success of migrants once they have crossed.