Kids in Cages

Surviving and Resisting Child Migrant Detention

Edited by Emily Ruehs-Navarro, Lina Caswell Muñoz, and Sarah Diaz

The University of Arizona Press

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 Muñoz
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

Reviews
Editor

‘Kids in Cages explores the physical, legal, and political mechanisms that the U.S. government wields to encage young migrants, as well as the strategies that youth develop in community with each other, family members, and advocates to fight their constraints. This volume offers important insights for scholars, students, practitioners, and all readers interested in one of the most pressing social justice issues of our time.’—Ruth Gomberg-Muñoz, author of Becoming Legal: Immigration Law and Mixed-Status Families

Emily Ruehs-Navarro is a professor of sociology at Elmhurst University, where she teaches on issues including migration, race, gender, and family. She has been advocating for immigrant youth in various capacities throughout her career.

Lina Caswell Muñoz is the associate director of Children and Youth Services at Church World Services. She has an MA in sociology and social justice and has worked with immigrant youth throughout her career.

Sarah J. Diaz is the associate director of the Center for the Human Rights of Children and Lecturer at Loyola University Chicago’s School of Law. She teaches immigration, refugee, and human rights law. Her scholarship addresses child migration and international law.

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