The humanitarian crisis in the southern border of United States has grabbed national attention as thousands of unaccompanied children have fled to the border to escape the growing violence in Central America. More underage immigrants are risking their lives in this dangerous journey that not always end as planned.
Catholic Migration Services, an affiliated organization of the Diocese of Brooklyn committed to help the underserved immigrant communities in Brooklyn and Queens, has been providing legal assistance to nearly 60 children in recent months.
One of their clients is the young Carlos Ramos of only 10 years of age. After his father became abusive and alcoholic, he decided to leave El Salvador on his own to meet with his mother, who has been working in New York for over 6 years. They were reunited when Carlos was 8, when he was apprehended at the border in Texas. He had not seen his mother since he was 2 years of age. Now, Carlos is a thriving sixth-grader whose case is still being determined by the courts.
NBC 4 New York spoke with Carlos about his journey to the border and about the new task force aimed to help the many immigrant children living in New York City.