Allison Norris, Esq., Legal Immigration Services Director at the SAFE Center, was invited by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to speak at their Children’s Services Convening last month. USCCB Children’s Services, through the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), provides services to children who come to the United States alone including shelter, foster care, home studies and post-release services for these children and their sponsors or families.
Allison spoke to over 100 immigration professionals, including case managers, program coordinators, youth specialists, and mental health clinicians. Alongside two USCCB policy experts, Allison presented on immigration laws and policies related to unaccompanied minors. She focused on the vulnerability of unaccompanied minors to child labor and sex trafficking, which were recently exposed in a series of New York Times articles uncovering the harsh realities faced by migrant youth. Allison also led a dynamic Q&A session with conference attendees. During this interactive exchange, she shared invaluable insights into recognizing indicators of trafficking and outlined effective strategies for supporting the resilience of child survivors who have been victimized by labor and sex trafficking.