New Study Highlights U.S. Failure to Protect Migrant Children

A new study by the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health’s WORLD Policy Analysis Center (WORLD) found that unlike almost three-quarters of high-income countries, the U.S. does not prohibit or limit the detention of accompanied asylum-seeking children, reports USA Today. The study looked specifically at laws affecting asylum-seeking children — youth seeking protection from human rights violations in their home country — and migrant children, who are youth leaving their country for a variety of reasons such as economic opportunities, education or to join family. Of all United Nation-member countries, low-, middle- and high-income, only 11 percent legally protects accompanied minor migrants from detention and less than a quarter legally protects unaccompanied asylum-seekers, and the United States is not one of them.

The study measured how countries that permitted detention scored in upholding key rights, such as providing access to health care, access to education, protecting family unity, and ensuring children were separated from an adult stranger. While some 44 percent of high-income countries allowed detained children access to health care, the U.S. was not one of them. Among other fundamental rights, only 34 percent of high-income countries grant detained children access to education. The U.S. also was not on the list, according to the WORLD study. Alternatives to Detentions, or ATDs, have proven effective, the study also found. Successful alternatives include being placed with a vetted host family, a designated residence or community-based case management.