I was able to visit the children being held in Tornillo. While I am grateful to those who are caring for these kids, the bottom line is that taking kids from their parents and failing to reunite them afterwards is cruel and inhumane. Now we need to make sure it’s un-American.
I met children who had been in detention for over 3 months; kids whose parents had already been deported back to Guatemala; kids who had no idea when or if they’d see their parents again.
I met officials from HHS & contractor who built Tornillo tent city (BCFS) for these kids. They agreed that this crisis was imposed by the Trump administration - that the tent camps at Tornillo would never have been built had Trump not taken kids from their parents at the border.
What HHS/ORR could not tell me is why they share info about the sponsors (family in the U.S.) for these kids with ICE — the agency tasked with deporting undocumented migrants. Before a kid is placed they get immigration status on everyone in the sponsor’s household.
I met 7 girls who had just arrived at Tornillo this morning. They’ve been in detention for weeks at other locations. Made the journey on their own, hoping to join family here in the U.S.
HHS unable to answer: if total number of families apprehended is down over last year; if total number of unaccompanied kids is up only 4%, then why are we keeping kids longer? Avg stay in detention for kids has gone from 34 days to 56 days. Many kids staying longer than that.
