PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Dr. Jeremy Kohomban, President and CEO of The Children's Village
3:41:57
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158 sec
Dr. Jeremy Kohomban, President and CEO of The Children's Village, testifies about the risks faced by unaccompanied immigrant children and offers solutions to protect and support them. He emphasizes the dangers of sexual violence, human trafficking, dangerous work, and debt bondage that these children often face in the United States.
- Kohomban recommends referring eligible children to federal ORR services, conducting family finding, and helping with legal processes.
- He suggests providing basic necessities like a place to sleep and wash, and utilizing family enrichment centers and drop-in shelters as resources.
- Kohomban proposes establishing a navigator program as a game-changing idea, based on successful implementations in Iraq and with the Affordable Care Act.
Jeremy Kohomban
3:41:57
Good afternoon, Charles.
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I will be as Stevenson, the Committee.
3:42:01
I'm Doctor.
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Jeremy Combin, the President and CEO of the Children's Village.
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And Harlem dialing 2 organizations founded in New York City in the 1800.
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And we've been working with undocumented children in the United States and across the world since Let me cut to the chase.
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All unaccompanied children face the risk of sexual violence and human trafficking, but being undocumented and unaccompanied comes with 2 additional risks in the United States.
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Unaccompanied youth are often recruited for the most dangerous work.
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Work on roofs, work in elevated spaces, work in drains and sewers, cleaning offices and industrial spaces late at night, and debris removal from construction sites and afterstorms are pretty common.
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The second risk is many unaccompanied minors and their families incur debt to make the journey.
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Working and sending money home is their priority.
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This places them at high risk for indentured servitude and further indebtedness to unscrupulous individuals who offer work in a place to sleep at the high cost of being threatened with reports to authorities.
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Here are the things that absolutely work.
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I want to reemphasize that debt bondage is a real issue in the United States.
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It's not just in far distant places.
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What works is if eligible, refer unaccompanied children for federal ORR services.
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It's not perfect, but it's a better place.
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Conduct family finding to identify 1 responsible adult relationship.
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Children do best when with family and people that love them.
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As you've heard, help file and use all the legal processes available on behalf of children.
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Pro here in New York City provide a place to sleep, wash, and wash their clothes.
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Housing is a challenge, but our family enrichment centers and drop in shelters can be a resource.
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And here is a game changing idea.
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Establish a navigator program.
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We this worked for us in outside the United States in Iraq.
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It worked for us with the Affordable Care Act.
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These programs are relatively low cost, but when well designed and implemented with efficacy, Stay with young people so that they get the guidance and that the world knows that they've got an adult in their life.
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People don't target kids that are with adults that love them and care for them.