Video on UNACCOMPANIED IMMIGRANT, ASYLUM SEEKING CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES

Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children (www.womenscommission.org )have released a video to help UNACCOMPANIED IMMIGRANT, ASYLUM SEEKING CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES.  The video features Senator Dianne Feinstein (invited); Representative Zoe Lofgren; Thomas Albrecht, Deputy Regional Representative, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; David Neal, Acting Chief Immigration Judge, Executive Office for Immigration Review, Department of Justice; Juan Pablo Lopez Cruz, a former unaccompanied minor and successful asylum seeker who now counsels disadvantaged youth at the Latin American Youth Center in D.C. WHERE: 385 Russell Senate Office Building WHEN: Tuesday, July 18, 2006; 5:30-7:30pm “What Happens When I Go to Immigration Court?” will give immigrant and asylum seeking children who arrive alone in the United States an overview of the legal process that will determine their future. Approximately 8,000 children seek safe haven in the United States each year; many are fleeing abuses such as exploitation, violence, forced military recruitment, forced marriage or harmful traditional practices. Most of these children do not have guardians and often must face immigration proceedings alone. The video will be particularly helpful for children who are survivors of severe abuse who may find it difficult to explain why they fled their home country to government officials. The 15-minute video, created pro bono by Los-Angeles producer Kim Berner, uses child-friendly language and features child actors in a real courtroom. It is available in English, Creole, French, Fuchow and Spanish. Hollywood director and producer Doug Liman provided financial backing and helped facilitate the pro bono services of the production team. Holland & Knight LLP provided legal assistance and a user’s guide to accompany the video. The video will be distributed nationwide to immigration courts, legal services organizations and pro bono attorneys who work with children. It can also be accessed from the Women’s Commission’s website www.womenscommission.org and streamed from the website of Holland & Knight LLP http://www.hklaw.com/CST/WomensCommission.asp For more information or to see the embargoed video, please contact Megan McKenna, 212. 551. 0959, meganm@womenscommission.org

KJ