New York City service providers and government officials on Wednesday discussed the coordinated strategy they are undertaking, as part of the New York State Unaccompanied Minors Working Group, to meet the needs of close to 3,000 migrant children who are already in New York State, with another 7,000 minors expected to reach the state in the coming months.

The working group brings together experts in immigration, legal advice, education, social services, medical and mental health services.

"All the evidence shows that they [unaccompanied children] are not coming because they think they can get a 'green' card or coming because they think they can get some kind of immigrant visa. They are coming, the great majority of them, because they are fleeing violence, and rape and death. This is an important factor to think about because there are a lot of people playing politics right now," said Steven Choi, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition. "We think the most critical piece is not to play politics but think of the needs of these children, and they are indeed children ranging in age from 2 to 5 to 8 to 12 years old. We need to think about the human needs of these children."

Choi said this is not the first time the U.S. had to deal with refugees, and it won't be the last, but the latest arrivals are comig because of a specific situation. They will need legal representation, social services and education.

"These children are here because they have some connection in New York to a relative, a family member or a guardian," Nisha Agarwal, New York City Commissioner of Immigrants Affairs, said.

According to organizers, more than half the children are coming to New York to reunite with a mother or father, and more than two-thirds are fleeing some kind of violence or threatening situation in their homeland.F ifty percent of the girls have suffered some kind of psychological trauma or abuse, and they are especially vulnerable.

The American Immigration Lawyers Association with its 1,500 members donates time to ensure the children benefit from full protections allowed under U.S. laws.

"People ask me with our immigration laws why can't people do this the right way. There are laws in place for these children. Make no mistake, these children are refugees. And there are laws in place right now to take these children, give them relief. There are several forms of relief, so they are taken care of and not sent back to terrible circumstances. They are not coming here just because someone said there's a place you can that's a little better; they have no choice. The places where they are at the moment are completely war torn with terrible conditions, and it would be terrible for us to send these children to these places," said Neena Dutta, Chair of the New York Chapter of American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).

A program operating in the South Bronx, Terra Firma, which offers medical and legal services, plus a support group, and recreational activities.

"During the past year, children and their caregivers have given us first-hand accounts of the violence gripping their communities and about the incredibly perilous journey coming to the US, what happens to them at the border and then coming to a completely new place in New York. You're coming from rural Guatemala and ending up in the South Bronx. I had one patient tell me about coming home from school, a 15 year old, coming home with another student; they were assaulted and his friend was killed in a very violent way. I've had a child tell me that they arrived at the border, were sequestered and were kidnapped for one month until their family was able to pay thousands of dollars to get him and his brother released. I've had a patient show up in my office who had a bullet lodged in his back who was caught in crossfire. It is amazing to me we are blaming families for sending kids to this country. We should be proud, really, that they are sending their kids because they know that the U.S. is a safe place and that we will protect them. You can imagine what a heart-rendering decision it is for parents to send their kids away from home," Dr. Alan Shapiro, senior medical director at Community Pediatrics Program and co-founder of Terra Firm: Immigrant Youth Clinic, said.

Shapiro added, "From a medical standpoint, and I think this is really important, as there is a lot of misinformation out there, these children are generally healthy. The problems that we see are typical in any pediatric practice. In fact, soccer injuries are probably the number one problem. These unaccompanied children do not pose a public health threat for the communities they end up in. Our major concern is mental health. While I would say these are the most resilient children I've ever met in my 25 year career, these children are undergoing enormous amounts of stress that begin at home, continue along their journey and continue when they get placed in our communities. This makes them especially vulnerable and speaks to the great mental health needs of these children."

The next Task Force meeting is on Thursday with city agencies.