Rome News-Tribune

In Georgia, some immigrant families face separation

-

ATLANTA — The separation of children from their immigrant parents DORQJ WKH ERUGHU KDV GUDZQ LQWHUQDtio­nal attention this year, but similar separation­s also take place far DZD\ IURP WKH ERUGHU

7KH $WODQWD -RXUQDO &RQVWLWXWLR­Q UHSRUWV WKDW LQ *HRUJLD ZKHQ D SDUHQW is deported or detained, their children may be placed in foster care LI WKHUH V QR RWKHU UHODWLYH WR WDNH FDUH RI WKHP

,I WKDW KDSSHQV ODZ\HUV DQG RI¿cials from other countries say parHQWV PD\ KDYH WR JR WKURXJK D GLI¿FXOW SURFHVV WR JHW WKHLU FKLOG EDFN a process that can be particular­ly GLI¿FXOW LI WKH FKLOG LV D 8 6 FLWL]HQ

7RP 5DZOLQJV LQWHULP GLUHFWRU RI WKH *HRUJLD 'LYLVLRQ RI )DPLO\ DQG &KLOGUHQ V 6HUYLFHV VDLG LW V D VLJQL¿FDQW LVVXH DQG RQH KH V DOUHDG\ WU\LQJ WR DGGUHVV 5DZOLQJV XVHG WR EH DQ DWWRUQH\ LQ SULYDWH SUDFWLFH DQG RFFDVLRQDO­O\ KDQGOHG FDVHV LQYROYLQJ children for the Mexican consulate in Atlanta so he's already familiar ZLWK WKH LVVXH

"We need to remember that just because a parent is deported, that does not justify the terminatio­n of WKDW SDUHQW V UHODWLRQVK­LS ZLWK WKH FKLOG 5DZOLQJV VDLG %RUGHUV GRQ W GHWHUPLQH \RXU SDUHQWDO DELOLW\

If a parent is detained or deported, foster care isn't the automatic choice IRU WKHLU FKLOGUHQ %U\DQ ' &R[ D VSRNHVPDQ IRU 8 6 ,PPLJUDWLRQ and Customs Enforcemen­t, says the DJHQF\ OHWV WKH SDUHQW GHFLGH ZKR VKRXOG WDNH FXVWRG\ RI DQ\ FKLOGUHQ 2IWHQ LW V DQRWKHU UHODWLYH RU SDUHQW OLYLQJ LQ WKH 8 6

But if the parent is solely responsibl­e for the child, Cox says the agency WDNHV WKDW LQWR FRQVLGHUDW­LRQ ZKHQ PDNLQJ WKH FDOO RQ ZKHWKHU WR GHWDLQ WKH SHUVRQ ,I WKH SDUHQW LV EURXJKW into custody and doesn't name a careJLYHU IRU WKH FKLOGUHQ KH VDLG WKDW V ZKHQ VWDWH FKLOG ZHOIDUH RI¿FLDOV DUH FRQWDFWHG

%HUQDGHWWH 2OPRV DQ $WODQWD ODZ\HU ZKR KDV UHSUHVHQWH­G LPPLJUDQW SDUHQWV LQ IDPLO\ ODZ FDVHV VDLG VRPH IDPLOLHV FDQ HQG XS ¿JKWLQJ WKH VWDWH RYHU SDUHQWDO ULJKWV D SURVSHFW WKDW FDQ EH HVSHFLDOO\ GLI¿FXOW JLYHQ that they aren't able to return to the 8 6 IRU KHDULQJV RU RWKHU REOLJDWLRQ­V

7KH 'LYLVLRQ RI )DPLO\ DQG &KLOGUHQ V 6HUYLFHV GRHVQ W NHHS FRXQW RI IRVWHU FDUH FDVHV LQYROYLQJ LPPLJUDQW SDUHQWV ZKR DUH GHSRUWHG RU GHWDLQHG %XW WKH 0H[LFDQ FRQVXODWH LQ $WODQWD VD\V LW KDV JRWWHQ LQYROYHG in dozens of such cases in Georgia, $ODEDPD DQG 7HQQHVVHH 6RPH WDNH \HDUV WR FRPSOHWH 7KH FRQVXODWH has assumed temporary custody of children in 28 cases since 2015 and ÀRZQ WKHP WR 0H[LFR WR EH ZLWK WKHLU SDUHQWV

/DZ\HUV DQG DGYRFDWHV VD\ WKH\ DOVR ZDQW WR FKDQJH WKH LGHD WKDW OLYLQJ LQ WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV LV PRUH YDOXDEOH WKDQ EHLQJ UDLVHG E\ RQH V RZQ SDUHQW

6WHYH 7HVNH D ORQJWLPH MXYHQLOH court judge in Clayton County, said KH V KHDUG TXHVWLRQV E\ VRFLDO ZRUNHUV DERXW ZKHWKHU D 8 6 FLWL]HQ FKLOG LQ IRVWHU FDUH VKRXOG EH WXUQHG RYHU WR D GHSRUWHG SDUHQW ZKHQ WKHUH DUH questions about the conditions in the SDUHQW V KRPH FRXQWU\ 7HVNH VDLG KH GRHVQ W XVXDOO\ DJUHH ZLWK WKLV OLQH RI WKLQNLQJ ZKHQ WKH SDUHQWV ZDQW their children back and can care for WKHP DQG FLWHG UHVHDUFK VKRZLQJ WKH LPSRUWDQFH RI WKH SDUHQW FKLOG ERQG

:H KDYH WR NHHS LQ PLQG WKDW WKHUH LV D JURZLQJ DPRXQW RI UHVHDUFK WKDW LV VKRZLQJ XV WKDW WKH SDUHQW FKLOG ERQG is so great that most other things — SDUWLFXODU­O\ OLNH OLYLQJ LQ SRRU FRQGLWLRQV ² DUH RYHUFRPH E\ WKDW VWURQJ SDUHQW FKLOG ERQGLQJ KH VDLG

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States