GROUNDSWELL: Sara Wohlleb via Groundswell for Tuesday, 26 May 26, 2015 7" Before Thursday - These children need your help."
Ana* is a brave little girl from Central America. By the grace of God, she managed to escape extreme sexual gang violence and make it through the difficult and dangerous journey of crossing the border to find her mom.
I met Ana as an interpreter, preparing to tell her story in front of a judge—the kind of due process which is protected by the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). But even after a year of therapy and in a safe environment, Ana was unable to utter a single word about her past trauma. Because of the TVPRA, she didn't have to. Ana's lawyer presented records to support her case in court, and she was granted asylum, safe and free to go home with her mom.
Now, Congress may act to take away that right. As people of faith, we're calling on our Senator Mark Kirk to lead by example and to protect the TVPRA. With his compassion for immigrant and human rights issues, we’re confident we can inspire him to support the TVPRA.
We’re meeting with Senator Kirk’s offices this Thursday. Will you sign our petition before then to show the Senator that children like Ana have your support?
The TVPRA protects children from countries that do not directly border the U.S. by providing safety and services for the physical and mental care they need, and giving them a day in court to tell their story. Without these protections, migrant children like Ana are vulnerable to deportation. They are screened by border patrol agents upon arrival, who decide whether they deserve to stay based on their story. Imagine if Ana had been interviewed by border patrol… More than likely, she would have been ordered deported back into the arms of that gang.
Before Thursday: Ask Senator Mark Kirk to stand by migrant children and publicly oppose all efforts to rollback the TVPRA.
We are driven by our faith to protect our neighbors in need, especially the little ones. Together, we can live our faith values by taking action for the migrant children.
In Solidarity,
Sara Wohlleb & The Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN)
*Ana's name has been changed for her privacy and protection.
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