Risk Without Representation: Unaccompanied Migrant Children

04/09/2025

By: Alexis Alvarez

Artist Statement:

What happens when a child crosses a border alone, seeking safety, but met with silence instead of shelter? What does it mean to welcome the stranger when the stranger is a child, alone and afraid? Guided by the conviction that every person carries the image of God, my research explores how recent changes in U.S immigration policies have impacted unaccompanied migrant children's access to legal protection and social services. Through this project, I plan in informing others of the invisible borders that continue to shape their journey, in courts, shelters, and systems meant to offer care.

Recent U.S. immigration policies have made it significantly harder for UMC ( Unaccompanied migrant children) to receive legal representation and basic social services.
DOJ ( Dept. of Justice) issued a stop work order in early 2023, halting legal aid programs that allowed children to have lawyers during their immigration hearings.
Without these services, many children, some as young as 6yrs old, are forced to represent themselves in a complex legal proceeding.
Both the Trump administration and those who follow, have implemented cuts to legal aid and federal funding, making it increasingly challenging for nonprofit organizations to support these children.
These policy changes have placed a heavy burden on faith based groups like the Catholic Church, which have stepped up to advocate for children's rights, provide shelter, and offer legal and emotional support

I researched this because I wanted to find out how immigration policy decisions, such as cutting funding for legal representation programs or placing administrative barriers, have affected the most vulnerable population of migrants. Children who arrive in the U.S alone. I also wanted to explore and hear about how organizations, particularly religious and Catholic groups, are responding to these changes in a way that reflects their ethical and spiritual commitments.

In christian ethical teachings, particularly in Catholic social teachings, every person has inherent dignity, and society has a moral obligation to protect those most at risk. The principle of the "preferential option for the poor" is especially relevant here, as unaccompanied minors are among the most powerless populations. Faith based response to immigration policy changes are deeply rooted in these Christian values, showing how theology can inform both advocacy and direct action.