June 27, 2018 | Serving Haymarket, Gainesville and Western Prince William County | Vol. 17, No. 26 | www.PrinceWilliamTimes.com | 50¢
Vote for your favorite local businesses in our first Readers’ Choice Awards, Page 14
Youth For Tomorrow pledges to reunite kids with families CEO Gary Jones expects most immigrant children at the Bristow facility to be released to relatives within two weeks
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, right, met Friday, June 22, with migrant children separated from their parents at the U.S. border who are now being housed at Youth For Tomorrow in Bristow. Above, Kaine and Sen. Mark Warner, left, meet with immigrant advocates in Arlington Thursday, June 21, to discuss families recently separated by government officials at the U.S. border.
By Jill Palermo and Jonathan Hunley Times Staff Writers
Youth For Tomorrow’s Chief Executive Officer Gary L. Jones said Monday he expects most of the 15 migrant children recently brought to their Bristow facility after being separated from parents or relatives at the U.S. border will be reunited with their families within two weeks. The nonprofit, launched by former Washington Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs in 1986, is housing 15 immigrant children between the ages of 10 and 17 who were forcibly sepa-
rated since April from their families at the border by U.S. government officials as a result of the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance policy” for those entering the country at unauthorized crossing points. Youth For Tomorrow has been in contact with 14 of the 15 families involved. Jones said he anticipates all
the children will be returned to their families in about two weeks. “We will reunite them with their families,” he said. Most of the adults who traveled to the U.S. with the children have been released from government custody but not deported from the U.S., Jones said.
The Prince William/Gainesville Times has not been able to independently verify that the reunifications are pending. Located on Linton Hall Road, Youth For Tomorrow has been caring for immigrant teens for six years under a federal contract. But until recently, those were teens who arrived at the border on their own, without a parent or guardian. The organization also works to reunite children in those situations with family members. “That’s what we do here is reunite children with their families,” Jones said. Senator confirms YFT housing kids separated from parents. Until Friday it had been unclear if Youth For Tomorrow was housing children separated from their families. A day before, images of the faSee MIGRANTS, Page 4
Remembering Christopher In the wake of stepson’s death, grieving stepdad finds solace in encouraging other teens By Jonathan Hunley Times Staff Writer
Joel Martinez wants to turn a bad decision into a lesson on good decisions that he hopes to share with other families. The bad decision was that of his stepson, Douglas Christopher Portillo, 15, who died in a car crash June 8 in Lorton. Christopher was one of five Prince William County boys who were in a Nissan Maxima that hit a tree and flipped on Furnace Road on the last day of school. See PORTILLO, Page 4
COURTESY PHOTO
Douglas Christopher Portillo, known to his friends and family as Christopher, with his stepdad, Joel Martinez.
A CAVALCADE OF STARS: Battlefield’s Kelsey Brown was among the large list of Prince William County athletes making all-state teams. Sports, Page 17 INSIDE Calendar.............................................13 Classifieds...........................................21 PWC Libraries.....................................20 News....................................................3
Obituaries...........................................11 Opinion...............................................12 Puzzle Page........................................16 Real Estate..........................................19 Sports.................................................17
Members of Battlefield High School’s choir are set to perform with rock band Foreigner. Page 13
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