Dear Friends, It is our belief that our communities are to welcome everyone and are sanctuaries to many people in various stages of their migration journey. We believe that migrants deserve to be treated with dignity, and that children in particular need to be extended care and compassion.

Migrant children who arrive in the United States without a parent or legal guardian are currently required by law to be transferred to the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agency charged with their care and responsible for placing them with family members or vetted sponsors.

A facility that will imprison migrant children is slated to open very soon here in Greensboro, maintained by private contractors with a history of running large-scale child detention sites with reports of overcrowding, child abuse, neglect, sexual assault, and even losing track of children.

Join AFSC NC and supporters Saturday, May 13, at St. Barnabus Episcopal Church in Greensboro as we demand the ORR:

• End the placement of children in large scale facilities—whether influx, intake, “secure” or other similar child detention sites in Greensboro or in any other community.

• Invest in a rapid reunification process at the border and within communities where children are resettled to unite children with their families and sponsors.

• Fund and implement community-based alternatives that comply with the rights of children at all stages when in the custody and care of the federal government.

• Ensure care facilities adhere to the Flores Settlement Agreement (FSA) standards for unaccompanied children.

• Decriminalize and de-stigmatize the presence of migrant children in the U.S.

• Enact immigration policies that uphold the rights, dignity, and humanity of all people.

• Invest in private refugee sponsorship programs to train families and communities to take in kids instead of having them held in detention facilities.

When: 10:00 AM Saturday, May 13th
Where: St. Barnabas Episcopal Church
1300 Jefferson Rd.
Greensboro, NC 27410

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Migrant children should be in nurturing, safe environments designed for their well-being. They should feel safe, loved and supported while we find ways to unite them with their families or place them with kind and compassionate sponsors.

We’re asking community stakeholders and organizations to support us in opposition to this site and to encourage ORR to reinvest in community-centered approaches to welcoming migrant children. Will you join us?

In peace,

CC Crawford
North Carolina Program Director
American Friends Service Committee