Webinar: Serving LGBTQIA Children Who Are Seeking Protection
Click here to download this webinar’s transcript.
On Tuesday, March 23, 2021, the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights convened a group of experts to highlight the unique strengths of and challenges faced by LGBTQIA children who come to our borders seeking protection. The Young Center serves many of the most vulnerable immigrant children who come to the United States, including LGBTQIA children who are escaping violence and persecution based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Young Center staff from across the country joined the webinar to discuss our work with LGBTQIA immigrant children and how we tailor our advocacy to meet children where they are and ensure they land somewhere safe.
José Ortiz-Rosales, Social Worker in the Young Center’s Los Angeles office, addressed the many challenges LGBTQIA experience during their journey to the United States and as they go through immigration proceedings. He argued for a child-centered approach to advocacy that sees children and youth as whole human beings and as partners in our work.
“The fact that LGBTQIA youth and children are maneuvering through the immigration system doesn't define them, nor do the legal issues they may face. Our approach to youth of this community should take into account the intersectionality of their identities including their social class, gender, sexuality, disability, nationality ethnicity, and race... We must see the LGBTQIA children and youth we serve as partners, not as people that we're merely helping. And that's very important for youth because they themselves are very resilient and already have the tools and at times, they just need a partner to highlight those tools that they have to be able to advocate for themselves or express their needs to others.” -José Ortiz-Rosales, Young Center-LA Social Worker
Kelly Albinak Kribs, Managing Attorney at the Young Center’s Chicago office, discussed advocacy strategy for serving children while they are in government custody.
“At the Young Center, we try to thread that needle between making sure LGBTQIA children’s process of exploring their identity occurs on their own terms and at their own pace while at the same time, supporting them in sharing that information with other stakeholders, including their attorneys when they are ready to do so because it could be useful to their long-term goal of seeking safety in the United States.” -Kelly Albinak Kribs, Young Center-Chicago Managing Attorney
Maritsa Leyva Martinez, Volunteer Coordinator in the Young Center’s Harlingen office, spoke about the importance of having LGBTQIA volunteers to serve as independent Child Advocates for children who may identify as LGBTQIA or who are exploring their identities. Young Center Child Advocates meet with children in government custody every week to learn their stories, accompany them, identify their needs, and ensure their voices are heard. LGBTQIA volunteers can play a key role in supporting LGBTQIA children.
“All of the children we serve are navigating a complex immigration system while balancing intersecting identities and oppressions, including their cultures, languages, class, race, nationalities, disability, and education. Recruiting and appointing LGBTQIA volunteer Child Advocates to LGBTQIA children affirms the children's identities and gender expressions and it ensures that we are creating truly safe spaces when advocating for their best interests so that when those children are ready to share ‘I am this and I need this,’ they will do so with confidence.” -Maritsa Leyva Martinez, Young Center-Harlingen Volunteer Coordinator
Young Center Child Advocates support children beyond their time in government custody. Jessie Beecher-Bell, Case Specialist in the Young Center’s Houston office, spoke about why and how we support children after their release.
“We tend to make regular contact with children after they're released from government custody to check on their well-being, whether there's an immigration attorney attached to their case, how their reunification with their family is going, and if there are any support services that we can identify for them. This is typically a very appreciated kind of relationship where we're able to check in with the kids and they welcome the phone calls.” -Jessie Beecher-Bell, Young Center-Houston Case Support Specialist
The webinar concluded with recommendations on what changes are needed in the immigration system to better care for LGBTQIA children. Panelists argued that we must have a federal mandate to consider children’s best interests (safety, expressed interests, and rights to liberty, family integrity, identity and development) in any decision that’s made about them and to ensure children are released from government custody as quickly and safely as possible so they can explore their identities in the safety of their homes and within their families and communities.