Thread by @RAICESTEXAS

BREAKING: Today, we filed a complaint w/DHS on behalf of families at Karnes.

They've been detained for 41-58 days. Kids are supposed to be held for 20 days MAX.

Their detention is completely illegal. They must be released immediately. #StoriesFromKarnes raicestexas.org/2019/03/13/rai…

All but one of these families are STILL IN DETENTION, meaning the administration continues to violate federal policy w/each passing day and these families continue to suffer.

We've been telling their stories under #StoriesFromKarnes & will keep doing so. They're horrendous.

One father has been detained w/his 15 y/o son since Jan. 14—58 days.

His son is "sad & desperate." He hasn't spoken to his mother or sister in ages. He's been eating less.

Both have positive torture/persecution findings.

DHS hasn't told us why they're still imprisoned.

Another father has a 6 y/o son who "used to be a very active and friendly boy" but is now "depressed" & "feels the heaviness of this place."

The son's had stomach aches, fever, & a rash.

They were detained 41 days before being separated. They're now in different centers.

One 5 y/o has had indigestion, chicken pox, the cold, & a continuous cough since he & his father arrived at Karnes. Medicine isn't helping.

The pair was put in medical isolation for 4 days.

Since being detained, the son tells his dad: "Let’s go, Dad. Let’s get out of here."

The detention of children is a crime. The UN, medical & legal experts, whistleblowers inside DHS— all condemn it.

Even some Congress members have condemned it & called for the end of family detention.

We're calling for them to follow through: end this practice once & for all.

There is NO reason to detain these families. They are not a flight risk, they are not dangerous, they are not giving false information.

The 1994 Flores agreement is clear: You can hold a child a MAX of 20 days, & then only w/good reason.

We are violating civil rights at Karnes.

We demand that DHS release all the families it has held at Karnes for over 20 days. They have friends & family they can be released to. We must allow them to go free.

And we call on Congress to END family detention. Future generations will judge us for this cruel practice.

We have 24 dads currently detained for 20+ days (keep in mind, these are just our clients, could be more at Karnes).

One of them has an 18 month old, and 9 others have sons under 10.

Three of those sons under 10 celebrated birthdays while detained.

Yesterday we emailed requests to ICE for these families to be released.

This morning ICE told us they don't accept email requests.

We've been submitting requests like this for our clients detained at Karnes via email for 5 years and this is the first time they've told us that.

URGENT: We need you all to call Dan Bible, the head of @ICEgov for the San Antonio region: 202.200.7012.

Please ask Dan to release the families who've been in Karnes 20+ days.

@ICEgov One of our volunteers said that today in Karnes the dads reported that the children are sick b/c of the food, that they are throwing up and have diarrhea and fever.

The majority, if not all, of the children are sick.

@ICEgov A GEO guard told families: "if you don't like our food then you should just go back to Honduras."

Team,

Please call Dan Bible, head of @ICEgov for San Antonio region: 202.200.7012 and ask him to release the families who've been in Karnes 20+ days.