At MISSSEY, we work every day with girls and gender-expansive youth who’ve survived trafficking, exploitation, and state violence. Some are undocumented. Some have crossed borders fleeing trauma, only to find more harm waiting on the other side.
What we see on the ground echoes a larger, global truth: protection is still racialized, conditional, and weaponized.
When Protection Becomes a Privilege
In 1997, the Flores Settlement established one of the few legal safeguards requiring that immigrant children be held in safe, humane conditions — and only for a limited time. But in recent years, those protections have been gutted.
In today’s hostile immigration climate, the consequences are devastating:
A Stark Double Standard
At the same time, the U.S. has welcomed white South Africans as refugees — citing a debunked narrative of “white genocide” that has been discredited by human rights organizations and South African leaders alike.
What message does that send?
That whiteness is seen as inherently worthy of refuge.
That Black and Brown immigrant youth must continue to prove their humanity.
That safety remains a privilege, not a right.
Grassroots Interventions Are Holding the Line
At MISSSEY, we don’t wait for systems to catch up to the needs of the youth we serve. We build sacred containers for healing, safety, and community care because we know the state cannot be relied upon to protect the very people it continues to harm.
We stand in solidarity with the National Center for Youth Law and others who are fighting back in the courts to defend immigrant youth from prolonged and inhumane detention.
Join Us in Building Real Safety
Every act of care, every donation, every voice raised in solidarity matters. Together, we can ensure that young people seeking safety are met with compassion — not cages.
