Brothers Miguel, 11, and Ramon, 9,* and their father were forced to live in a refugee camp in Juarez under the Trump administration’s dangerous Remain in Mexico policy (also known as Migrant Protection Protocols).

As they waited for their U.S. immigration court date, they were abducted, robbed at gun point, and abandoned in an unknown area. Following this traumatic incident, Miguel and Ramon’s father decided it was safer for his children to seek protection in the United States alone, rather than wait in Mexico with him.

Because they were by themselves, Miguel and Ramon were taken into government custody and sent to a shelter, where the Young Center was appointed as their Child Advocate. We ensured they were not sent right back to Mexico. The Trump administration turned away thousands of children under the cover of COVID-19 after March 2020. We wanted to make sure Miguel and Ramon were able to come in and pursue legal protection. We also made sure they were reunited with their mother, who lives here. But they continue to remain separated from their father who fought so hard to bring his children to safety.

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*Children’s names have been changed to protect their privacy.