Rare Bipartisan Bill To Provide Kids-Only Courts For Migrant Children

 

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Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, and Michael Bennet, a Democrat from Colorado, have introduced the Immigration Court Efficiency and Children’s Court Act of 2023 in the US Senate. The law intends to give immigration judges specialized training and create courts exclusively for immigrant children.

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To assist unaccompanied immigrant children in the US, a unique bipartisan immigration measure has been proposed. There are currently over 62,000 cases pending in US immigration courts involving minors who entered the country unaccompanied and without parental guidance. These immigrant children must fight for the right to remain in the country. Additionally, the US reopened a facility last month to host children of unaccompanied migrants. A group of children who were unaccompanied migrants were given food and housing by the government.

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By creating courts exclusively for minors, the Immigration Court Efficiency and Children’s Court Act of 2023 can benefit immigrant children. As a member of the bipartisan “gang of eight” senators that drafted the immigration reform bill in 2013, Michael Bennet made a commitment to assist migrant children.

KIND President Wendy Young called on the authorities to acknowledge the special vulnerability of unaccompanied children and to make courtrooms more kid-friendly.

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The law has already attained the distinction of being bicameral and bipartisan. Bennet conveyed optimism that the bill will be approved quickly.