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To: Jeh Johnson, Secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security
Stop terrifying raids on child refugees!
Urge Jeh Johnson, Secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, to stop the inhumane treatment of refugee children and families, such as the raids that are happening right now in the name of immigration law enforcement.
Why is this important?
A small child, just four-years old, was sleeping soundly over the New Year's weekend when he was abruptly woken up by feet pounding across the floor and screaming in the house. Then his worst nightmare came true: He was taken away by strangers.
This just happened in Atlanta, Georgia, one of three U.S. cities, where 121 Central American refugees were abruptly removed from their homes at 4:30 in the morning. No one should be treated that way. We've all got to stand up against this inhumane treatment of children and families.
It’s time for DHS to adopt practices that both respect our laws and the dignity of children seeking refuge in the United States, such as the following:
• Placing child welfare experts and social workers on the border for screening children and other vulnerable individuals; those who’ve been traumatized by violence should be screened by trained professionals, not by customs border patrol agents;
• Strengthening the court system capacity to review cases and ensure due process;
• Recognizing that it’s not unlawful to seek asylum at our borders—children and families seeking refuge at our borders have every right to do so under current law and should not be treated as criminals;
• Upholding the best interest of the child in all decisions involving children.
Join us in urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to stop the inhumane treatment of children and families in the name of immigration law enforcement. Decency, fairness, and humanity require that we protect the well-being of the children from Central America seeking asylum in the United States and ensure that they are granted full due process under the law, including adequate legal representation.
This just happened in Atlanta, Georgia, one of three U.S. cities, where 121 Central American refugees were abruptly removed from their homes at 4:30 in the morning. No one should be treated that way. We've all got to stand up against this inhumane treatment of children and families.
It’s time for DHS to adopt practices that both respect our laws and the dignity of children seeking refuge in the United States, such as the following:
• Placing child welfare experts and social workers on the border for screening children and other vulnerable individuals; those who’ve been traumatized by violence should be screened by trained professionals, not by customs border patrol agents;
• Strengthening the court system capacity to review cases and ensure due process;
• Recognizing that it’s not unlawful to seek asylum at our borders—children and families seeking refuge at our borders have every right to do so under current law and should not be treated as criminals;
• Upholding the best interest of the child in all decisions involving children.
Join us in urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to stop the inhumane treatment of children and families in the name of immigration law enforcement. Decency, fairness, and humanity require that we protect the well-being of the children from Central America seeking asylum in the United States and ensure that they are granted full due process under the law, including adequate legal representation.