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Boxers Supporting Unaccompanied Minors Fund
Boxers will be participating in Catholic Charities' annual Futbol con Corazón to support unaccompanied minors.
Unaccompanied children come from all over the world, but the largest numbers arrive from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Mexico.
Children flee their countries to escape persecution, abandonment, exploitation, serious deprivation, violence in their communities, or to reunite with a caregiver, often after losing one at home. Some are victims of human trafficking. Some are alone, separated from family or orphaned.They all long for safety, care, family, and a place to call home.
These children are now facing adversarial removal proceedings opposed by experienced government attorneys, with only about 32% represented by counsel. It is highly unlikely that an unrepresented child will prevail in immigration court, even if he or she has a bona fide claim for protection. A recent study found that represented children have a 73% success rate in immigration court, as compared to only 15% of unrepresented children.
To respond justly and humanely to the unprecedented spike in the number of children who made the treacherous journey north in the past few years, Catholic Charities began offering free legal immigration services to these children and youth.
They are working to find ways to protect the rights of vulnerable unaccompanied children by supporting their housing, education, mental health, medical, and legal needs within nurturing and safe environments. It is fundamentally important to safeguard their well-being.
