Skip to main content

ETHNOS_APP

Home • Search • Journals • List 0

La Charla

Documenting the Experience of Unaccompanied Minors in Immigration Court

Bibliographic Data

ID3608914
AuthorsJennifer Huynh (0000-0002-6577-3907, University of Notre Dame, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume47
Issue3
Pages616-630
Publication date2021-02-17
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueNew Community (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0047-9586 • E-ISSN: 1469-9451
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1369183x.2019.1627188
OpenAlexW2970171096
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited20

There is no minimum age for children to appear unaccompanied in immigration court in the United States; infants and toddlers, like adults, can receive notices to appear and are not given legal counsel. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in three US immigration courts, I examine how unaccompanied immigrant minors experience the legal removal process and represent themselves in court. I find that the US court system is ill equipped to deal with the unique needs of immigrant minors: fear and confusion infiltrate the process. The qualitative conditions of the courtroom prevent children from receiving fair legal counsel, thus denying them due process. Ethnographic data indicate that creating a more child-friendly immigration court includes providing access to legal help desks in municipal buildings; ensuring fair and accurate translation of removal proceedings; increasing the transparency of legal relief options and roles of stakeholders in the courtroom to families and minors; and streamlining national policies or the training on best practices for unaccompanied minors provided to judges who decide in removal proceedings

Confusion · Criminology · Deportation · Ethnography · Immigration · Immigration law · Political science · Sociology · Children's Rights and Participation · Law · Migration, Health and Trauma · Migration, Refugees, and Integration · Psychology

  • Maintaining Connections, Cultivating Community

    Open Access•Rebecca Linares, Rebecca E Linares•Teachers College Record The Voice…•2022

  • Parli l’italiano?’

    Open Access•Eleonora Di Molfetta•Theoretical Criminology•2025

  • Virtuality for Real Children

    Open Access•Kif Augustine‐Adams, Hannah Pierce et al.•Journal on Migration and Human…•2025

  • Can You Hear Me Now? Attorney Perceptions of Interpretation, Technology, and Power in Immigration Court

    Open Access•Maya Pagni Barak•Journal on Migration and Human…•2021

  • Interviewing Asylum-Seeking Children

    Open Access•Shayla Chilliak, Sabrina Musacchio et al.•Trauma Violence & Abuse•2024

  • Criminalización de menores migrantes no acompañados

    Open Access•Maria Isabel Garcia García•REMHU Revista Interdisciplinar da…•2026

  • The Justice Gap for Unaccompanied Children in US Immigration Court

    Open Access•C Galli, Tanalís Padilla et al.•Law & Social Inquiry•2026

  • Legal care work

    Open Access•Luis Edward Tenorio•New Community•2025

  • The Discovery of Grounded Theory

    Barney G Glaser, Anselm L Strauss•Discovery of Grounded Theory•2017

  • The Child—What Sort of Human?

    Open Access•Jacqueline Bhabha•PMLA/Publications of the Modern…•2006

  • Constructing Illegality in America

    Open Access•Leisy J Abrego, N De Genova et al.•Constructing Immigrant 'Illegality'•2013

  • Youth, gangs and violence

    Ailsa Winton•Children s Geographies•2005

  • Contesting criminality

    Open Access•B Coutin•Theoretical Criminology•2004

  • Children's Experiences with Family Justice Professionals in Ontario and Ohio

    Rachel Birnbaum, Nicholas Bala et al.•International Journal of Law…•2011

  • Data Saturation

    Open Access•Khaldoun Aldiabat, Carole-Lynne Le Navenec•Qualitative Report•2018

  • Architects of Justice

    Open Access•Linda Mulcahy•Social & Legal Studies•2007

  • Telephone interpreting should be used only as a last resort.’ Interpreters’ perceptions of the suitability, remuneration and quality of telephone interpreting

    Jihong Wang•Perspectives•2017

  • Falling through the cracks

    Open Access•Benjamin J Roth, Breanne Leigh Grace•Children and Youth Services Review•2015

  • Consequences of criminal court involvement for child victims

    Jodi A Quas, Gail S Goodman•Psychology Public Policy and Law•2012

  • Our Right is the Right to Be Killed

    Open Access•Angelina Snodgrass Godoy•Childhood•1999

  • The state of confusion

    Open Access•Juan Thomas Ordóñez•Ethnography•2008

  • Gangster in guerilla face

    Open Access•Elana Zilberg•Anthropological Theory•2007

Unique citing works8
Citations per year1,6
Citation span2021 - 2026 (6)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 8
Ethnos_APP • Open Source Project • MIT License • Frontend v2.0.0 • Privacy and Cookies • API Documentation: api.ethnos.app/docs • API Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17049435 • Frontend Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17050053 • cruz.rio.br • Expectantes Misericordiae