We are facing a humanitarian crisis at our borders as unaccompanied children and families are fleeing violence in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. President Obama and many Members of Congress are proposing changes to the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), which prevents children from being deported into the hands of traffickers or dangerous situations. The TVPRA passed both Chambers of Congress by unanimous consent and was signed into law by President Bush in 2008, in part to reduce the likelihood that the U.S. would deport children back into the hands of traffickers and other dangerous situations. Changes to the TVPRA would mean that children would neither have a meaningful opportunity to have their story heard, nor be cared for humanely by child welfare personnel. The changes would expedite the children’s deportation into unsafe situations. It is immoral that Congress would consider rescinding this bipartisan law simply because more children are in need of the protections it offers. The U.S. must help find ways to reduce the violence these children face in their home countries, rather than prioritize expedient, heartless proposals to deport them more quickly. Please call your senators and representative and urge them to reject rollbacks of the TVPRA. Call 1-866-940-2439.

Daryl Charron, C.PP.S.