As we near almost 20 years of the Young Center’s vital advocacy to advance and protect immigrant children’s rights, I am inspired by the ways our community has come together in 2023 to strategically map our plans to deepen the Young Center’s impact and truly live out our values in the immediate years to come.  

Additionally, this past year was marked by critical efforts to formalize organizational partnerships that ensure our support for children extends beyond just their time in federal custody. With your support in 2023, we served 1,598 children from 48 different nationalities facing deportation across 21 states; 335 of the children we worked with were under 12-years-old and 479 were at risk of being transferred to adult detention, you can download our report here. 

There is no doubt that these were major accomplishments in 2023; and while we celebrate these extraordinary strides forward, we are also holding space to show up for one another and our partners through immense grief. The tragic deaths of immigrant children who died in 2023 were the fatal consequence of our nation’s increasingly restrictive immigration policies that continue to make it more dangerous for individuals, families, and children to seek safety in the U.S.  

Immigrant children, as we know, exist in and are impacted by a much bigger ecosystem than just federal custody. As we recognize the cultural, historical, and social contributions of immigrants during June, we also acknowledge the challenges many of them experienced before and the hurdles they will experience after custody require solutions rooted in community.  

We invite you to download our annual report to learn more and to continue to support us by giving a donation so that we may continue to ensure that immigrant children, no matter where they land, are met with the care, compassion, and tenderness they deserve.