U.S. Government Strands Hundreds of Migrant Children
Oakland, CA — In response to the recent news of hundreds of migrant children that have yet to be reunited with their parents due to the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy, Hispanics in Philanthropy released the following statement.
“The U.S. government has failed to protect the lives of children, fathers, mothers and other caretakers fleeing violence, extortion, and poverty in their home countries. The “zero-tolerance” policy intentionally set out to create devastating harm on thousands of families through forced detentions, removals, and other tactics to separate families. The report provides evidence of the cruelty and devastation that ensues as a result of these policies where 545 children continue to be separated from their families. Government and health experts have long fired warnings of the egregious human rights abuses at play and yet the blatant racism and xenophobia towards immigrant families has persisted. Just this past month reports of forced hysterectomies and other abuses at the hands of immigration detention officials horrified the nation.
“Resources, like HIP’s Family Unity Fund established in 2018, are desperately needed to tackle this crisis head-on. Our partners are on the frontlines with migrant families providing legal services, psychosocial and mental health support. Their heroism, despite incredible barriers from the U.S. government, succeeded in reuniting thousands of children and their parents, including those who had family members deported. Our immediate responsibility is to the 545 children that face an ever-changing federal immigration legal system that has failed them.”
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