Words are powerful. As Voltaire and Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben say, “with great power comes great responsibility.” That’s why we need to have a little chat.
In May, Attorney General of the United States Jeff Sessions made an announcement that would have devastating effects on families attempting to enter the United States via the southern border. A long-standing policy prior to this was to charge those crossing into the United States illegally for the first time with a misdemeanor offense. Sessions announced the enactment of a new “zero-tolerance” policy for illegal immigration, which results in all persons entering the United States “irregularly” being criminally prosecuted. As the adults were being charged with a crime, their children were being separated from them and called unaccompanied minors, even if those families presented themselves at ports of entry to seek asylum from violence and devastating poverty in their home countries.
This week, Donald Trump signed an Executive Order that supposedly ends his own administration’s policy of separating children from their families at the border. The Executive Order includes no plan about how to reunite the children who have already been separated from their families. Without walking back his zero-tolerance policy, the Executive Order is largely unhelpful as it will result in children being detained in detention centers with their parents. While it is better for the children to be with their parents than alone in separate detention facilities, over 80 years of research shows that institutionalizing children has horrifying lasting impacts. The Flores Settlement Agreement makes it illegal to hold children for longer than 20 days, so while the children may not be separated from their families immediately upon entry into the United States, they will still ultimately be separated as many families apply for asylum, which can take months or years. The current administration is trying to get the Flores Settlement Agreement decision changed by the courts so that children can be detained for longer amounts of time because without a change to the settlement agreement, Trump’s Executive Order is unenforceable.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security figures show that 1,995 children were separated from 1,940 adults in just six weeks (between 19 April and 31 May). The children were passed into the care of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services where they were transferred to government detention facilities or foster care. Make no mistake about it that the administration was attempting to deter people from entering this country from our southern border. It wasn’t working. May saw the highest number of family units apprehended at the border since 2014, when violence in Central America led to a surge in border crossings.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security figures show that 1,995 children were separated from 1,940 adults in just six weeks (between 19 April and 31 May).
This should be a nonpartisan no brainer. Children don’t belong in tent cities or former Walmart stores or detention centers or institutions. Children belong in families. Separating children from their families is, by the UN definition, torture. Not only is it torture by definition, but it has similar effects on children. According to an article in the Washington Post, “The science leads to the conclusion that the deprivation of caregiving produces a form of extreme suffering in children. Separating migrant children from parents, then, increases the likelihood that their experience in immigration detention will cause lasting mental and possibly physical health problems”. Scientific studies have shown again and again and again that separating children from their caregivers has detrimental effects.
This should be a nonpartisan no brainer. Children don’t belong in tent cities or former Walmart stores or detention centers or institutions. Children belong in families.
You may be thinking to yourself now, “Ok Catherine, that’s fine, but what can I do about it?” People have mobilized on Twitter using #FreeTheChildren – follow the hashtag to keep yourself updated. Additionally, here are three simple things you can do:
- If you are in the United States, you can contact your Senators and Congressional Representatives and urge them to use all of their power to reunify separated families.
- You can urge your church to take a public stance on this issue.
- You can donate to the Florence Project to provide legal support for the children separated from their families or to The Texas Civil Rights Project or to Kids In Need of Defense or to The Young Center.
If you wish to contact your representatives, you can use the following script or write it as a letter/email:
For Your Congressman or Congresswoman:
To Whom It May Concern,
My name is _________________________ and I am a constituent from zip code _______________. It has recently come to my attention that the current administration made it policy to separate children from their families at the border. I’m urging Congressman / Congresswoman _______________ to denounce this family separation policy and use all of Congress’ authority to stop it permanently. I am incredibly troubled by the forced separation policy for a variety of reasons, not least of which being that it is torture by definition. The separation of children from their families has been scientifically proven to have adverse effects on mental health. Please use all of your power to stop this policy and to ensure that the children are reunified with their families immediately and without deportation.
Sincerely,
___________________
For Your Senators:
To Whom It May Concern,
My name is _________________________ and I am a constituent from zip code _______________. It has recently come to my attention that the current administration made it policy to separate children from their families at the border. I’m urging Senator _______________ to denounce this family separation policy and use all of your authority to stop it. I am incredibly troubled by the forced separation policy for a variety of reasons, not least of which being that it is torture by definition. The separation of children from their families has been scientifically proven to have adverse effects on mental health. Please use all of your power to stop this policy and to ensure that the children are reunified with their families immediately and without deportation.
Sincerely,
___________________
If you’d rather call your representatives, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has created a script. It says:
Hi, my name is [YOUR NAME] and my zip code is [YOUR ZIP]. I’m urging the Senator / Congressman/ Congresswoman to denounce the administration’s family separation policy and use all of her/his authority to stop it permanently. Please use all of your power to stop this policy and to ensure that the children are reunified with their families immediately and without deportation.
[This article is based on original blog posts published by Catherine Cottam on accioadventure.com]
[Cover photo © U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Photographer: Josh Denmark]
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