Jane’s Due Process and the Crisis At The Border
There have been many reports and much conversation about the current immigration crisis at the Texas/Mexico border, as tens of thousands of children are fleeing violence in Central America and seeking shelter on this side of the border. Since Jane’s Due Process’ mission is to help any pregnant minor in Texas who needs legal help, JDP has been on the front lines of this situation.
Here is the June newsletter from our Executive Director about what JDP has been doing:
Pregnant, alone, scared? Add to those anxieties the traumas of having been sexually assaulted in your gang-infested home country in Central America and then fleeing to take a lengthy, perilous journey through Mexico and an unauthorized crossing into South Texas.
Tragically, this is not just one minor’s tale. In bypass cases over the past two months, Jane’s Due Process attorneys have assisted several pregnant minors who survived these traumas. Some of these rape victims were as young as 14 years old. All are now in federal refugee resettlement facilities.
The problem is growing more acute. The New York Times reports that since Oct. 1, U.S. officials caught more than 33,000 unaccompanied children crossing the border into the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. The feds’ special shelter at Lackland AFB in San Antonio has reached capacity. Thousands more are being moved to a California military base.
I am honored to work with attorneys who will drop everything and provide the professional representation for minors with such alarming needs and so few resources.
Tina Hester
Executive Director
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