They Will Grow up and Remember: The “Zero Tolerance” Policy Against Migrant Children

To understand how thousands of children were separated from their families under the Trump administration, we need take a look at what has happened through the years.

Where are the children?

Thousands of children have been separated from their families. They still must be found and reunited with their loved ones. The Trump administration’s position that family reunification is too hard and a “burden” is an unacceptable excuse. This horrid violation of constitutional and human rights demands justice. Because of the actions of the Trump administration, thousands of children have to wonder if they are ever going to see their parents again and thousands more moms, dads, and loved ones have to lay in bed at night with that uneasy and dreadful feeling of not knowing where their children are.

What Can You Do?

Join us on Sunday, June 9 for a protest in Washington, D.C. called “Where are the Children.” During the demonstration, children’s pajamas will be hung on huge clotheslines to symbolize just how many children have been separated from their families.

Data on People in Immigration Detention Centers (2015-2019)

Average Daily Population in Immigrant Detention Centers (2015-2018) with Current Population as of May 2019

 

Every year across the United States, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues to increase their daily population of people in their detention centers. This May, it was reported that ICE is detaining around 52,000 people, a record high number of allegedly undocumented immigrants, which marks the highest number of people detained at once in America. The increased number of people arrested makes it easier for Trump to point to a “crisis at the border” and for ICE to beg Congress for an increased budget because there is a “need” for more detention beds. But ICE creates its own need for more beds when they seize people through illegal means, such as the “bait and switch” tactic and racial profiling. Not only do private contractors profit from ICE’s business of detaining people, but ICE also offers 287(g) agreements to local police agencies that incentivize police officers with little training to do the work of ICE agents in exchange for money -- with no accountability for racial profiling or other illegal tactics. The “necessity” for more detention beds is nothing more than an exaggerated myth fabricated by the Trump administration, and driven by xenophobic racism and greed.

Detention Centers in MD

There are more than 200 detention centers in the United States and three of them are in Maryland at Frederick County Detention Center, Howard County Detention Center, and Worcester County Jail. The capacity at all these detention centers is as needed. ICE is now seeking bids to contract for another detention center within 50 miles of Baltimore with a 600 to 800 bed capacity. That would mean the capacity of this new detention jail is more than double the number of people we are currently detaining in Maryland. Please continue fighting for the rights of immigrants and come to the “Where are the Children” protest this Sunday in Washington DC.

Works Cited

US Courts. Flores vs Lynch. https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2016/07/06/15-56434.pdf.

“Detention Map & Statistics.” Freedom for Immigrants, www.freedomforimmigrants.org/detention-statistics.

Lind, Dara. “Congress's Deal on Immigration Detention, Explained.” Vox, Vox, 12 Feb. 2019, www.vox.com/2019/2/12/18220323/immigration-detention-beds-congress-cap.