AUGUST 2011
RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges the Department of Homeland Security to revise its policies with respect to detained parents, legal guardians and primary caregivers of children to incorporate the following:
a) Access to an attorney to help them understand legal issues related to children who had been in their care;
b) Referral to an attorney who can represent their interests in state court custody, dependency, and other legal actions related to their children; and
c) Opportunity for their meaningful participation in all state judicial proceedings involving their children’s custody and welfare, as well as the opportunity to access court-mandated services related to their parenting.