Some children are brought here by adults seeking to exploit them for commercial sex work. domestic servitude. or other forced labor. Sometimes theyre too young to understand why theyve been sent to the United States at all. These children are the most vulnerable immigrants who come to this country and I believe we have a special obligation to ensure that they are treated humanely and fairly. Historically. U.S. immigration law and policies have been developed and implemented without regard to their 153. Pt. 4 March 12. 2007 effect on children. This result has been similar to trying to fit a square peg in a round holeit just cannot work. Under current immigration law. these children are forced to struggle through a system designed for adults. even though they lack the capacity to understand nuanced legal principles. let alone courtroom and administrative procedures. Because of this. children who may very well be eligible for relief are often deported back to the very lifethreatening situations from which they fledbefore they are even able to make their cases before the Department of Homeland Security or an immigration judge. For example. the New York Times recently reported the story of Young Zheng. who was 14 years old when his parents sent him from China to the United States. He was first detained for a year at a facility that was later closed due to abysmal conditions.
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immigrants deported immigration