Under current law immigrant children cannot be detained by the government longer than 20 DAYS. The Trump Administration wants to be able to detain children and their families INDEFINITELY.
The Justice Department is trying to modify the decades-old settlement agreement Flores v. Reno to allow the government to detain children longer than the 20 days currently allowed, and in ICE detention centers as opposed to licensed facilities. The proposal has been published in the Federal Register and is open for public comments until November 6. We know that there are low-cost and effective alternatives to detention for children and families and that even short-term detention is harmful to children.
HELP STOP THIS BY WRITING BEFORE NOV. 6!
Key Points
- This would disregard basic human rights standards, including where and how children and families are housed and fed.
- Children who are detained may suffer long-term effects, including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. See American Academy of Pediatrics, Detention of Immigrant Children http://bit.ly/AAPChildDetention.
- Alternatives to detention such as letting people out on bond and formal monitoring programs have been shown to be effective, more humane and far less costly. See National Immigration Forum, Math of Immigration Detention http://bit.ly/DetentionCost and Alternatives to Detention http://bit.ly/DetentionAlternatives
PLEASE TAKE 15 MINUTES AND SEND COMMENTS TO: http://bit.ly/stopfamilydetention
How To:
- Review the key points listed above.
- Click on the link above and use your own words to submit a comment arguing that the changes would be harmful and would not have the benefits suggested by the government.
- Use facts. Cite studies, point out costs, make policy arguments, and include personal stories about yourself or others to illustrate your points.
- Only one comment per person.
- Share widely on social media and by email family, friends and colleagues.
To see the Administration’s proposal: Apprehension, Processing, Care, and Custody of Alien Minors and Unaccompanied Alien Children: http://bit.ly/FloresRules
Download the flyer HERE.