Dianne Feinstein: “about 6 years ago, I was sitting at home and I was watching television. What I saw was, I believe, happening in Seattle.…”

“about 6 years ago, I was sitting at home and I was watching television. What I saw was, I believe, happening in Seattle. It was a 14-year-old Chinese youngster who had come to this country in a container. Her parents died in the container. She had survived. She had been in a detention facility for 7 months prior to coming before the judge. What I saw on television were tears streaming down her face, her hands in cuffs, and the chain went around her waist. She was unable to wipe away her tears. I thought this was very strange, something really must be wrong. I found out that she is not alone. There are 7,000 unaccompanied youngsters who come to this country every year. Many of them--at least up to a recent point--were held in detention facilities for unlimited periods of time. They don't speak the language, they have no friends, they have no guardians, and they have no one to represent them. Often, they are sexually abused. It is a real problem.”