immigrantscanada.com

Independent topical source of current affairs, opinion and issues, featuring stories making news in Canada from immigrants, newcomers, minorities & ethnic communities' point of view and interests.

Policy Goal: Risk Harm and Immigrant Children

policy goal: Since then, the administration has been steadily eroding protections for immigrant children and families, according to CTV. They're willing to risk harm to a child being traumatized, separated from a parent and sitting in federal detention by themselves, in order to reach a larger policy goal of deterrence, said Jennifer Podkul, director of policy at Kids in Need of Defence, which represents children in immigration court. It's also a situation that has been brewing since the week President Donald Trump took office, when he issued his first order signalling a tougher approach to asylum-seekers. To those who work with immigrants, the parents' plight was heralded by a series of measures making it harder for kids arriving on the border to get released from government custody and to seek legal status here. But a backlash is mounting, fueled by reports of children being taken from mothers and distraught toddlers and elementary school age children asking, through tears, when they can see their parents. The administration has said the changes are needed to deter immigrants from coming here illegally. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.