Q&A
City agencies' methods for identifying and tracking unaccompanied minors
1:24:10
·
120 sec
Council Member Alexa Avilés questioned representatives from MOIA, ACS, and DYCD about their methods for identifying and tracking unaccompanied minors in their systems. The responses revealed:
- MOIA does not identify or track unaccompanied immigrant youth through its programs.
- ACS doesn't technically have unaccompanied minors in their care, but they work with young people in foster care on their legal status.
- DYCD does not track migrant youth in RHY programs, but communicates with providers to understand changing needs.
• Agencies expressed concerns about risking young people's safety by tracking immigration status. • ACS highlighted the complexity of determining age and legal status for some cases. • The responses indicated a lack of systematic tracking across agencies for this population.
Alexa Avilés
1:24:10
Thank you.
1:24:12
I guess I'd like to hear very quickly maybe from all the the agencies, we can go from one to the other around how they identify and track the number of unaccompanied minors going through each of their systems.
Tom Tortorici
1:24:29
Thank you, Tiara Liz.
1:24:31
Moy does not identify and track unaccompanied immigrant youth through its programs.
Stephanie Gendell
1:24:38
So unaccompanied minors wouldn't technically be in ACS's care, but young people who do not have immigration status who are in foster care while we don't track them in the way I think you mean track them.
1:24:53
We are working with them on their on their legal status, and our office of immigrant services, tracks them in their case.
1:25:02
And so we know how many young people in care we're working with to help with their legal status and we know how many young people in care are destitute, but you could be in care as destitute and not have an immigration issue.
1:25:18
It could be that you're born in New York City and both of your parents are deceased, so you'd be destitute.
1:25:24
Similarly, for young people who we are working with on their immigration status, they might not be an asylum seeker, but they could be in New York another way and not have immigration status.
1:25:36
But, you know, it's very important.
1:25:37
TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT PUTTING ANY YOUNG PEOPLE OR THEIR FAMILIES AT RISK BY ASKING THEM AND TRACKING THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS.
1:25:44
Reporter:
Dr. Amy Wilkerson
1:25:50
DUICD DOES NOT TRACK migrating youth and RHI programs.
1:25:55
We keep in close communication with our providers to understand the needs of the RHI population as it changes.
1:26:04
And to ensure that those youth are connected, to the specialized resources that they need.