North Miami-Dade News

Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) has joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers to introduce legislation aimed at addressing the immigration court backlog and protecting the rights of unaccompanied migrant children. The Immigration Court Efficiency and Children’s Court Act (H.R. 6145) seeks to establish a Children’s Court within the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) that focuses on the adjudication of removal proceedings for unaccompanied children.

According to Rep. Salazar, "Children are often the greatest victims of our broken immigration system. We must do better to meet children’s needs while streamlining immigration court proceedings and making our courts more efficient. I’m proud to co-lead the Immigration Court Efficiency and Children’s Court Act to improve outcomes for children, families, and the American people in our backlogged immigration courts. And most importantly – keep them safe."

Unaccompanied migrant children face unique challenges as they navigate the U.S. immigration system, often appearing alone before a judge in immigration court. Their cases are legally complex and typically take longer than adult cases to resolve, resulting in a significant backlog. Currently, there are over 62,000 pending cases for unaccompanied children in the United States.

The proposed Children’s Court would introduce several key measures to address these challenges:

1. Specially Trained Personnel: Judges in the Children’s Court would receive special training on child trafficking, developmental and trauma-informed practice, and docket management tools.

2. Child Participation Protocols: The Children’s Court would ensure that children can easily attend court, actively engage in the process, and fully understand their rights. Child-appropriate procedures would be utilized to help children comprehend the proceedings, receive appropriate treatment based on their developmental stage, and have sufficient time to secure legal counsel.

3. Coordination with Legal Services Organizations: Legal services organizations would work closely with the Children’s Court to facilitate access to legal screening and immigration proceedings. This coordinated approach aims to ensure that children can obtain legal representation faster and more efficiently, reducing unnecessary time in court and preventing procedural delays.

The legislation has garnered support from 41 organizations, including World Relief, National Immigration Forum, Church World Service, Women's Refugee Commission, American Immigration Lawyers Association, American Bar Association, and the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN).

The introduction of this legislation reflects a bipartisan effort to address the challenges faced by unaccompanied migrant children in the immigration court system. By establishing a specialized Children’s Court, providing training for judges, implementing child-friendly procedures, and improving coordination with legal services organizations, the aim is to expedite the resolution of these cases and ensure the well-being and safety of the children involved.

For more information on the bill, the full text is available [here](link), and a summary in both English and Spanish can be found [here](link).

Click this link to access more information: https://salazar.house.gov/media/press-releases/salazar-joins-legislation-protect-migrant-children-address-immigration-court