A group of individuals has launched an active campaign to defund and disparage our work with unaccompanied minors. Here are the facts:
What We Do
Heartland Alliance serves immigrants, refugees, victims of trafficking and asylum seekers—among the most marginalized people in the world—and we have long championed the importance of providing safety, dignity, justice, and opportunity when they enter our country, especially in the face of the current federal administration’s increasingly appalling policies.
One of these programs, run by Heartland Human Care Services, provides safe, nurturing and healing, 24-hour-a-day care for children who arrive in this country alone. We provide food, clothing, shelter, comfort, schooling, and medical care until we unite them with family or a sponsor. We are the bridge to safety and opportunity in the United States for these children.
Why We Do It
We have been doing this work for over 24 years. In that time, we have helped tens of thousands of children—an average of more than three thousand per year. Last year alone, we served children from 51 countries speaking more than 30 languages. The majority of children in our care have endured traumas most of us couldn’t even imagine. They have fled violence and abuse and have parents who are desperate for them to survive childhood and have a better life. Along their journey from Bangladesh, Guatemala, Honduras, India, China or other countries, many of the children have been victims of sex traffickers or gang violence. Some have suffered theft and rape. Our primary goal is to safely and swiftly unite them with a caring adult, and that requires proper vetting and diligence.
Take a look inside one of our shelters and hear directly from the people caring for these children:
Heartland Alliance proudly stands by this important work—and has done so through four federal administrations. Since 2016, however, immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers have been even more vulnerable due to the current administration’s inhumane practices. To clarify: Heartland Alliance abhors the current federal administration’s immigration policies. We oppose any mandates that force families to separate, take away their benefits, or criminalize their pursuit of safety here in the U.S.
Misinformation and Harmful Tactics
There is a small, very vocal group of individuals who want to shut down our shelters. They are spreading lies about the conditions in our shelters and the intention of our work. The facts are:
- We do not detain, and we do not jail.
- We are not funded by ICE.
- We do not profit from operating this program.
Frankly, we are disgusted by the tactics of the individuals who are protesting against our work. They have defaced our shelters, attempted to gain access, scared our children, taunted outside our windows and thrown objects at our buildings—threatening the children and staff. And we question their motives, particularly when they show no interest in learning more about what we do or engaging in respectful dialogue. Even when presented with the facts, they persist in spreading lies.
We’re Not Giving Up on Immigrant Children
As long as there are children alone and trying to find safety here in the U.S., we will help them. The actions of the current federal administration have caused us to question whether we should continue this work. Ultimately, we think of the very people we were founded to serve, their trust in us, and their faith in our work. No one is more vulnerable than a child crossing the border alone. Our shelters are a necessary way station for unaccompanied children on the road to placement with family and sponsors in the U.S. Closing our shelters would make the children more vulnerable, particularly given the current aggressive agenda against migrants.
In response to the increasingly heightened level of trauma the young people have experienced in their home countries, we have hired more staff who specialize in trauma-informed care. We have added new programs, augmented professional development and training for our staff, and increased wages at all levels to comply with new Chicago minimum wage laws and retain our caregivers.
We have applied to the Office of Refugee Resettlement to renew our contract for three more years, and have requested up to $45.5 million per year to continue supporting thousands of children’s daily needs, 24/7/365, like food, clothing, recreation, shelter, and physical and mental healthcare, along with the salaries for a highly-trained team of reunification specialists, clinicians, teachers, administrators, translators and caregivers. This is a reimbursement-based contract; we are paid to support only for the services we provide and bill for. Again, Heartland does not profit from this work.
Stand With Us
Unfortunately, we live in a time when anyone can easily spread false and misleading information without accountability. Our shelter program model was designed by human rights and immigrant rights advocates 20 years ago as an alternative to inhumane detention centers. Our work is guided by child welfare principles and practices. We have high standards and a staff who are committed to excellence.
What can you do?
- Get informed. Watch the video, learn more about our work in this space–on our website, and through this fact sheet about our shelters.
- Stay up to date. Sign up for our emails to learn about upcoming opportunities and ways to get involved.
- Show your support. Reach out to your legislators and communicate your support for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
Most importantly, don’t believe the lies. Help us spread the truth and stand up for justice.
