We the undersigned represented organizations and individuals from Mexico, the United States, and Central America joined in profound consternation that six Guatemalan minors had died in the past 10 months, in the custody of US and Mexican immigration authorities.

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The deaths of Jackeline Caal, Felipe Alonso, Juan de León, an unnamed 2 ½ year old who died of pneumonia, and an unidentified 16-year-old boy all died in US custody. Stephanie Velazquez, 10 years old, died while held in detention in Mexico. These deaths should have been prevented by putting the safety of children and families before their detention.

The tragic death of Stephanie Velazquez in Mexico’s detention system is chilling evidence that the inhumane immigration policies of the Trump Administration are being taken under the pressure of the new government in Mexico.

The US and Mexico face challenges of large scale human mobility, but the response must always be humane and respectful of domestic laws and international agreements that ensure good treatment and prescribe any form of detention of minor children.

Both the US and Mexican governments should accept responsibility for designing a humane and comprehensive response to the current conditions of large-scale human exodus in our region.

Legislative bodies in Mexico and the US must act immediately, to provide oversight and to review the performance of immigration institutions and officials to ensure full compliance with humanitarian standards – by both governments.

We call on multilateral organizations to closely investigate, report on and publicize these tragic episodes on both sides of the US-Mexico border, as part of broader efforts to ensure the safety of children, youth, women and men who are fleeing violence and economic collapse in their home communities.

President Lopez Obrador must go farther in his proposal for a regional agreement to end forced migration through economic investment, and address Human Rights, corruption and violence to provide families and communities the ability to stay home.

We demand that no lives, especially young ones, are ever sacrificed for the sake of political “looking tough” expediency.

United Universalists Service Committee
Alexandra Delano. PhD. New School for Social Studies
Transnational Villages Network
Global Exchange
Latin American Working Group
Institute of Social and Cultural Research and Practice AC
Hispanics in Philanthropy

Collective Migrations for the Americas /
Migration Collective for the Americas

Binacional Family Agency, AC (AFABI)
Albergue de Migrantes Hermanos en el Camino; Desert Shelter;
Binational Migration and Development Alliance AC (ABIMyD);
The Dignities of El Salvador;
Association of Salvadorans and their Families in Mexico (ASAFAMEX);
Mexican Association of Credit Unions of the Social Sector (AMUCSS); Association of Mexicans in North Carolina (AMEXCAN);
Right to Identity, AC;
Casa del Migrante in Tijuana AC;
Casa Refugiados, AC;
Frontera con Justicia, AC (House of the Migrant of Saltillo);
Casa del Migrante, Casa Nicolás;
Mother Assunta Institute;
Tochan House;
Bonó Center;
Community Center for Assistance to Migrants and the Needy (CCAMYN);
Center for Alternatives for Social Development, AC (CADES);
Migrant Worker Support Center; Marist Support Center for Migrants (CAMMI);
Refugee Assistance Center (CEALP);
Center for Assistance to the Indigenous Migrant Family (CAFAMI);
Shelter, Training and Empowerment of Migrant and Refugee Women (CAFEMIN);
Center for Migrant Rights. (CDM)
Mountain Human Rights Center Tlachinollan, AC;
Center for Human Rights Fray Matías de Córdova, AC;
Center for Human Rights Juan Gerardi AC;
Center for Human Rights and Advice to Indigenous Peoples, AC (CEDHAPI);
Center for Studies in International Cooperation and Public Management AC (CECIG);
International Center for the Human Rights of Migrants (CIDEHUM);
Legal Clinic Alaide Foppa-UIA;
Indigenous Coalition of Migrants of Chiapas (CIMICH);
Coalition Pro Defensa del Migrante;
Collective Sorority Glocal;
Collective For a Migration Without Borders of Tlaxcala;
Transnational Collective CODETZIO;
Collective You are We;
Mexican Commission for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights;
Committee of Relatives of Missing Migrants (COFAMIDE);
Committee of Relatives of Missing Migrants of Progress (COFAMIPRO);
CONFEMEX;
AC countercurrent; CONVIHVE AC;
Coordination of Migration of the Benemérita Autonomous University of Puebla (BUAP);
Deportados Unidos en la Lucha (DUL);
Dignity and Justice in the Way, AC (FM4-Paso Libre);
The Corner of Malinalco;
Citizen Link of Indigenous Women;
Espacio Migrante, AC;
Estancia del Migrante González y Martínez, AC (EMGM);
Border Studies – Autonomous University of Mexico City (UACM);
Federation Zacatecana, AC (FEDZAC);
Training and Training AC (FOCA);
Mesoamerican Women, Health and Migration Network (RMMSM);
Indigenous Front of Binational Organizations (FIOB);
Community Foundation of Bajío;
Foundation for Development;
Foundation for Justice and the Democratic State of Law (FJEDD);
Fundar, Analysis and Research Center, AC;
Interdisciplinary Group on Women, Work and Poverty, AC (GIMTRAP);
Help for Be Progress, Immigrant Initiative;
Migrant Identity Human Rights; Inclusion and Equity, AC;
Ana Stern-Social Incide;
Fabiola Mancilla;
Hugo Ángeles;
Jorge Romero León;
Leticia Calderón-Mora Institute;
Lorena Cano;
Marta Villarreal;
Martha Rojas-ECOSUR;
Mayela Blanco Ramírez;
Monica Salmón Gómez;
Nadia Nehls;
Ofelia Woo-University of Guadalajara (UDG);
Patricia Zamudio-Center for Research and Higher Studies in Social Anthropology (CIESAS-Golfo);
Rocío Osorno;
Rodolfo García Zamora -Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas (UAZ);
Ximena Gallegos;
Citizen Initiative for the Promotion of Dialogue Culture, AC, Kino Initiative for the Northern Border;
Central American Institute of Social Studies and Development (INCEDES);
Simone de Beauvoir Leadership Institute (ILSB);
Institute for Security and Democracy, AC (INSYDE);
Institute for Women in Migration AC (IMUMI);
INSAMI;
Irapuato Vive AC;
Justice in Motion;
Indigenous and Afro-Mexican Youth in Connection (JINACO);
Transboundary Coordination Table-Migrations and Gender (MTMG);
Migrantologists;
Mujeres Unidas y Activas-Immigrant Youth Coalition;
Migration Observatory Puebla de la Benemérita Autonomous University of Puebla (BUAP);
Binational Organization Aztlán;
Other Dreams in Action (ODA);
Planet of Communication, Art, Orientation, Society and Health AC (Planet CAOSS);
For the Overcoming of the Woman AC;
Prevention, Training and Defense of the Migrant, AC (PRECADEM);
Migratory Affairs Program of the Universidad Iberoamericana (PRAMI-UIA Laguna); Migratory Affairs Program of the Technological Institute and Higher Studies of the West (PRAMI-ITESO);
Migratory Affairs Program of the Universidad Iberoamericana Campus Mexico City (PRAMI-UIA);
Binational Network of Artisan Women;
Sustainable Development Network;
Red de Mujeres del Bajío AC and its Regional Center of the Bajío Women’s Network (CEREMUBA);
Bajío Network in Support of the Migrant; International Network for Migration and Development (RIMD);
Jesuit Network with Migrants from LAC; Mexican Network of Leaders and Migrant Organizations (Red Mx);
Mexican Network of Rural Peasant Organizations (RED MOCAF) / Mexican Network of Efforts against Desertification (RIOD-Mex);
National Network of Gender and Economy (REDGE);
Nicaraguan Network of the Civil Society for Migrations;
Regional Network Truth and Justice; Alternative response;
Ririki Social Intervention SC;
Integral Health for Women, AC (SIPAM);
Scalabrinian Migrants and Refugees (SMR); Jesuit Migrant Service (SJM);
Without Borders, IAP;
Jesuit University System;
The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW);
One World One Nation;
A Friendly Hand in the Fight Against AIDS AC;
One of Seven Migrating AC;
Mesoamerican Voices Action with Migrant Peoples, AC (VM-APM)
Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA)

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