Gov. Hochul Announces $7.25M in Legal Aid for 1,400 Unaccompanied Immigrant Children in N.Y.

EXCERPT:

HOCHUL: “But think of a child, all ages, going into a courtroom by themselves and having to plead their case. Imagine being that little kid, so scared in an unfamiliar country, missing mom and dad, not knowing much English, trying to defend yourself in a courtroom. Any parent knows that is preposterous, it’s cruel, it’s illegal. And for nearly two decades, our federal government required, required by law that these children be protected when they cross the border when they’re here. In fact, check the history books. 20 years ago, that bipartisan law was signed by a Republican president, George Bush. Remember that? That was a different era, wasn’t it, way back in 2008, and for good reason. And one reason is, they knew that these children were endangered. Unaccompanied minors without legal representation were more likely to be trafficked, more likely to be abused, more likely to be sent back in dangerous situations. This was another policy, when you think about it, that really embodied our American values, who we are, that we don’t think it’s right for a child to be left alone in a courtroom defending themselves. And now, now that policy, that statement of our values as Americans and as New Yorkers is just thrown onto the trash heap of civility, and other long standing norms are just being abandoned. And the result is that we now have children in our midst, some you may see, who are now in danger. These cruel, depraved decisions could be a death warrant for our kids, whose only sin was being born in poverty or in a country consumed with political violence, and their parents decided they’re better off leaving. When we lose sight of our shared responsibility to protect God’s children here on earth, as human beings, as parents, then we lose part of who we are as a country, as human beings, as I said. So, today, I’m taking action. I’m announcing $7.25 million to cover the legal services for roughly 1400 unaccompanied minors across the state of New York.”