Date of Completion
Spring 5-1-2026
Thesis Advisor(s)
Kimberly Bergendahl; Kristin Kelly
Honors Major
Political Science
Abstract
This thesis examines how closely the treatment of migrant children from Latin America to the United States aligns with the ideals of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Its central question is: to what extent do current practices comply with CRC standards? Although the CRC outlines clear obligations to uphold the best interests and fundamental rights of all children, these principles are inconsistently applied within U.S. immigration policy and practice. Through a comparative analysis of Donald Trump’s first administration and Joe Biden's presidential administration, this thesis evaluates six CRC articles concerning child migrants. It then examines how these articles align with the actual treatment of child migrants as reflected in policies, executive orders, and memoranda. Drawing from international human rights law and child rights scholarship, this thesis underscores the persistent gap between the normative commitments enshrined in the CRC and their realization in practice. Ultimately, this thesis argues that while the Biden administration trends closer to compliance with the CRC’s provisions than the Trump administration, the treatment of migrant children at the southern border consistently falls short of the convention’s articulated standards.
Recommended Citation
Passer, Eva R., "A Border of Broken Promises: The Unfulfilled Commitments of the CRC for Migrant Children at the U.S. Southern Border" (2026). Honors Scholar Theses. 1192.
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses/1192