HIAS Responds to Ending of Central American Refugee Program

SILVER SPRING, Md.—HIAS is dismayed by the Trump administration’s announcement on Wednesday, November 8, that it will end a refugee program for Central American youth. The Central American Minors (CAM) program was established in 2014 to help children escaping violence in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. The CAM program allowed parents lawfully present in the United States to apply for their children to receive refugee status, creating a legal pathway to safety, protection, and family reunification.

In response, Melanie Nezer, Senior Vice President for Public Affairs at HIAS, the global Jewish nonprofit that protects refugees, issued the following statement:

“By ending this program, the Trump administration is closing a safe and legal route for refugee children and their families to find safety in the United States after fleeing uncontrolled, raging violence in their home countries in Central America. With the decision to terminate the CAM program, the administration is continuing to strip away protections for immigrants and refugees, including children.”

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