The Crisis Facing Immigrant Children and Youth in the United States

The Prisons and Justice Initiative, in co-sponsorship with the Department of Anthropology, was proud to host its first main campus event of the academic year, “The Crisis Facing Immigrant Children and Youth in the United States.” In a context of increasingly restrictive immigration policies, enhanced enforcement initiatives and limited protections, this panel will bring together immigration experts—academics, advocates, practitioners, and youth—who all speak to the intensifying challenges of life for young immigrants in the current moment. This event was organized in conjunction with the 2019 publication of Illegal Encounters: The Effect of Detention and Deportation on Young People, co-edited by two of the panelists, which examines many of the issues surrounding undocumented youth—from their apprehension, detention, and release to struggles to gain legal status and find acceptance in local communities.

Moderated by Prisons and Justice Initiative Director Marc M. Howard, the timely discussion will include:

• Deborah A. Boehm (Professor of Anthropology and Women’s Studies/Gender, Race, and Identity at the University of Nevada, Reno, and co-editor of the volume)
• Rachel Gittinger (Director of Citizenship and Civic Engagement at the Central American Resource Center), Williams Guevara Martinez (immigrant from El Salvador and engineering student
• Abel Nunez (Executive Director of the Central American Resource Center)
• Arelis Palacio (Associate Director for Undocumented Student Services, Center for Multicultural Equity and Access at Georgetown University)
• Jennifer Podkul (Policy Director at KIND-Kids in Need of Defense)
• Susan J. Terrio (Professor Emerita of Anthropology and French Studies at Georgetown University, and co-editor of this volume).