Rep. Grijalva Leads Effort to Protect LGBT Unaccompanied Minors

December 15th, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) led 59 House Democrats in sending a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell expressing concern over the lack of adequate protection against discrimination and sexual assault for unaccompanied minors in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). The lawmakers urge HHS to implement robust Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) regulations alongside guidance to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth from discrimination.

“The unaccompanied minors seeking shelter here risked life and limb to escape violence and poverty in Central America,” said Rep. Grijalva. “Too often, they find themselves exposed to new threats of discrimination and sexual assault once they’re here. These attacks are completely preventable with adequate protections, and HHS has the moral responsibility to ensure those precautions are in place.”

The letter, which particularly focuses on LGBT youths, reads in part:

While less than 10 percent of the general youth population identifies as LGBT, they account for approximately 19 percent of children in foster care and an estimated 15 percent of youth in the juvenile justice system. Data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics indicates that lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) youth in juvenile correctional facilities are almost twice as likely to experience sexual victimization as their heterosexual counterparts. Furthermore, research shows that many of the facilities which ORR contracts to provide care for unaccompanied minors are located in states without adequate protections for LGBT youth.

“We’re talking about protecting kids who are being specifically targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” Grijalva continued. “LGBT youths must receive affirming and culturally competent care. They deserve the dignity of housing assignments consistent with their gender identity, and adequate preventative and response measures to keep them safe from harm. These kids have traveled thousands of miles in search of safety – allowing them to be victimized once they’re in U.S. custody is completely unacceptable. I urge Secretary Burwell to take the steps necessary to keep these kids safe.”

The full text of Rep. Grijalva’s letter can be found here.

###

Back To News