Central America’s Gang Violence & the Rise of Unaccompanied Children in the U.S.

Congress has maintained an interest in the effects of gang violence in Central America, and on the expanding activities of transnational gangs with ties to that region operating in the United States. Since FY2008, Congress has appropriated significant amounts of funding for anti-gang efforts in Central America, as well as domestic anti-gang programs. This book examines the U.S.- funded international anti-gang efforts and describes the gang problem in Central America; discusses country approaches to deal with the gangs; and analyses U.S. policy with respect to gangs in Central America. The book discusses how unaccompanied alien children are treated in comparison to unauthorized adults and families with children in the specific contexts of asylum and expedited removal.