US Bishops Urge Congress To Protect Migrant Children From Human Trafficking

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Department of Migration and Refugee, headed by Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, has urged the United States Congress to adopt new measures to protect vulnerable migrant children from human trafficking.

The U.S. bishops’ migration committee sent a letter to both the Senate and the House of Representatives, urging them to protect unaccompanied migrant children. 

According to the bishops’ letter, migrant children are “most vulnerable” to exploitation, forced labor, and human trafficking. The number of migrant children in the United States has increased significantly in recent years.

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Are migrant children safe in the US?

According to the bishops’ letter, several migrant children in the United States are suffering because of exploitative labor conditions and human traffickers. Exploitation of migrants can continue in the future. 

Earlier, reports emerged that hotel chains were used to hold migrant children and families in custody at the American border with Mexico. 

Migrant arrivals in the United States have increased in recent months. The US reopened facility to house unaccompanied migrant children, who have been crossing the U.S. southern border in recent months. The facility provided shelter and food to a group of unaccompanied migrants. The migrant children were kept at a standard care provider facility.

New measures to protect migrant children

The U.S. bishops’ migration committee urged the Congress to adopt new measures in order to protect migrant children. The committee also urged the U.S. authorities to increase funding, scope, and trafficking prevention training of the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) under the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. 

They also urged the U.S. Congress to establish a dedicated position in the ORR, which is responsible for tracking and preventing child trafficking. They also urged the authorities to provide a permanent legal status to migrant children in the U.S.