Norton and Her Congressional Latino Council Update Recommended Actions to Address Unaccompanied Central American Children and Families in D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Nearing the one-year anniversary of her meeting with her Congressional Latino Council (CLC) in the wake of thousands of unaccompanied minors from Central America arriving in the District of Columbia, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today met with CLC and other Latino leaders to update needed actions and to compile recommendations for helping unaccompanied minors and families in the District. D.C. has one of the three largest Central American communities in the United States.

"Almost a year ago we anticipated that D.C. and the region would be significantly affected in the search for adults who may be related to these children. As we found today, over 500 children have been released to sponsors in our city. We met today to ensure follow up on getting these children and families what they need."

Some of the recommendation stemming from today's meeting include: ensuring children and their relatives have legal counsel, including pro-bono counsel; ensuring agencies like U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services are providing comprehensive training to the District government, nonprofits, and other entities that help these children and their families navigate the immigration application processes; ensuring documented immigrants receive adequate information about their eligibility for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and that those who are not eligible for the ACA can receive medical assistance through the D.C. Alliance.

Norton will provide a full response to these and other issues by July 1. Representatives from Latin American Youth Center, Carlos Rosario Public Charter School and the D.C. Office of Latino Affairs attended today's meeting.