Kids in Cages

In recent years, the plight of immigrant children has been in the national spotlight. A primary issue of concern is the experience of child migrants in detention by the U.S. government.

The authors in this volume approach the topic of child migrant detention from a range of perspectives. Some authors, particularly those who provide a legal perspective, chronicle the harms of detention, arguing that despite governmental assurances of child protection, detention is fundamentally a state-sanctioned form of violence. The social scientists in the volume have worked closely with detained youth themselves; in these chapters, authors highlight the ways in which youth survive detention, often through everyday acts of resistance and through the formation of temporary relationships. Practitioners including psychologists, activists, and faith leaders look at forms of resistance to detention. From retheorizing psychological interventions for detained youth to forming hospitality homes that act as alternatives to detention, these practitioners highlight ways forward for advocates of youth. At the heart of these narratives lies a crucial debate: the tension between harm-reduction strategies and abolition.

This interdisciplinary work brings together voices from the legal realm, the academic world, and the on-the-ground experiences of activists and practitioners.

Contributors Stella Akello Jessica Alaniz Samuel Arroyo Corey Brost Lina Caswell MuNoz Marisa Chumil Patricia Crowley Iman Dadras Sarah J. Diaz Jacqueline Florian Darlene Gramigna Michael Gosch Lisa Jacobs Katherine Kaufka Walts Jenn M. Lilly Kathlyn Mulcahy Jennifer Nagda Vida Opoku Silvia Rodriguez Vega Emily Ruehs-Navarro Herlin Soto Luis Edward Tenorio Jajah Wu