Family Separation – R&R – Reachout and Rebuild

The Children in the Camps

David Posnett — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 14:12:19 +0000

Submitted by Shoshana Hershkowitz

Picture drawn by child in our border camps.

I am haunted every day by the images of children in the camps. I am haunted by the pictures they draw, which bear a frightening resemblance to those in the book, “I Never Saw Another Butterfly”, drawn by the 15,000 children who were imprisoned in Terezin before dying at Auschwitz.

Mostly, I’m haunted as I go through the tasks of everyday life with my own children. As I put lotion on my son’s mosquito bites, as I go and lay down with my daughter when she wakes up from a nightmare. As I take them to swim lessons, to play dates, as they play on the street. I’m haunted by the normalcy of our lives in these abnormal times, where #NeverAgain is now.

My mind is constantly in conflict. On the outside, I am trying to give my children the life they and all children deserve, one where they feel loved, secure, and joyful. When they cry, I hold them. When they want to talk about their feelings, I listen. When they want me to notice what they’re doing, I enthusiastically cheer them on. It’s what parents do. And as I do it, I think about those kids in the camps. Those kids who haven’t had a shower, a change of clothes, a warm blanket, a hug, an adult to care for them. And as I look at my own children, I am haunted. There are tears in my eyes as I hug them, listen to them, put band aids on their scrapes, because I know that this crime against humanity is happening in my country, and here I am, relatively unscathed, privileged.

I don’t know how we end this madness. I write, I call, I protest, I donate, I organize, I vote. It doesn’t feel like enough. It’s not enough. I think we need sustained collective outrage, the kind that ended the Vietnam War, the kind that happened during the Civil Rights Movement. Those families deserve our collective outrage. Our democratic experiment requires that outrage. It’s failing, and I think we are failing it.

I think this will only end when each of us who still has a conscience that transcends our political affiliations tunes in to that twinge we’re feeling when we see those pictures. Too often, we push those feelings down, shove the discomfort away to focus on what’s in front of us. Don’t ignore the twinge. Don’t look away. Be haunted. That’s your humanity speaking to you. It’s asking you to care and to act. Because #NeverAgain is now.

Shoshana Hershkowitz

Save the Children

David Posnett — Wed, 26 Jun 2019 19:18:26 +0000

Contributed by James Ewing (Watermill, NY).

Watch this powerful video from the border where Alyssa Milano is broadcasting live:

Over the past year approximately 400,000 migrants have been detained by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP).They are primarily from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.

Customs and Border Protection Commissioner John Sanders recently said that the Border Patrol is holding 15,000 people, and the agency considers 4,000 to be at capacity.

On any given day, 2,000 children are in Border Patrol custody, and the problems are hardly confined to one facility…Legally, they’re not supposed to be held by border agents for more than 72 hours before being sent to the Department of Health and Human Services, which is responsible for finding their nearest relative in the US to house them while their immigration cases are adjudicated.

Almost all of these children have family members, including parents, in the United States, who are able to and want to take care of their children.

At the Border Patrol facility in Clint, Texas, some of the children are going weeks without enough food, water, or hygienic sanitation. Researchers report that kids are sick, caring for each other, and lack baths and diapers.

These kids and teens are being forcibly separated from their families. Which, in spite of Trump’s repeated claims to the contrary, has not been the norm in previous administrations.

Unlike privately contracted child detention facilities (which charge the US taxpayer up to $750 a day per child), Border Patrol stations like the Clint Detention Facilty, are federal facilities, exempt from state health and safety standards, according to Texas Department of Health and Human Services spokesman John Reynolds. Child abuse and neglect investigators are not allowed to investigate the stations because they not licensed by the state.

Law professor Warren Binford, saw a 4-year-old with hair so matted and dirty she thought it would have to be cut off. The child had not bathed in more than a week, she said. She witnessed a 14-year-old caring for a 2-year-old without a diaper, shrugging as the baby urinated as they sat at a table because she did not know what to do. Here, in a warehouse filled with filthy kids who had not bathed in days, some with lice and influenza, it was kids taking care of kids. There was no soap. And when she tried to find baby food, there was none of that, either. All they had was instant oatmeal for breakfast, instant soup for lunch and a frozen burrito for dinner, “every single day,”

The Trump administration argued before a Ninth Circuit panel Tuesday that the government is not required to give soap or toothbrushes to children apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border and can have them sleep on concrete floors in frigid, overcrowded cells, despite a settlement agreement that requires detainees be kept in “safe and sanitary” facilities.

A 14-year-old girl from Guatemala said she had been holding two little girls in her lap.
“I need comfort, too. I am bigger than they are, but I am a child, too,” she said.

“She’s suffering very much because she’s never been alone. She doesn’t know these other children,” said her father.

“Try to imagine what it’s like for these children, not as a parent, but as one of the children. To be hungry, without anyone to help you, to be abandoned to filth with no way to get clean, to be trying to take care of yourself and children who are even younger that you are, to be confused about what might happen next and to be terrified that you will never be loved or cared for by anyone again.” (Unknown Field notes)

“In my 22 years of doing visits with children I have never heard of this level of inhumanity”— Holly Cooper—UC Davis Immigration Law Clinic

While existing aid levels to Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras will not be reduced this year, the Trump administration “will not provide new funds for programs in those countries until we are satisfied that the Northern Triangle governments are taking concrete actions to reduce the number of migrants coming to the U.S. border, said State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus. ‘This is consistent with the president’s direction and with the recognition that it is critical that there be sufficient political will in these countries to address the problem at its source.’ ” Washington AP 6/18/1

At least 24 adults and 6 children have died in US custody under Trump’s border policies.

“The death of a child is always a terrible thing, but here is a situation where, because there is not enough funding they can’t move the people out of our custody,” says outgoing CPB Commissioner John Sanders.

The victims from upper left (clockwise): Wilmer(2), Darlyn (10), Carlos (16) ,Mariee (20 mos), Felipe (8), and Juan (16)

By the way, Perry Gershon has it right regarding potential solutions.

Lee Zeldin parrots the Trump and FOX line. What a disaster. Think about it in November 2020.

Here is what one Candaian thinks:

and here is what you can do right now:

First Hand Report on Immigrant Families in Tijuana

David Posnett — Sat, 16 Feb 2019 01:55:40 +0000

Friendship Park, along the United States-Mexico border in San Diego–Tijuana

By Lisa Votino Tarrant (Southampton)

Down in Tijuana, I befriended a 5yo little girl whose family was awaiting turning themselves over to US authorities to claim asylum. All I kept thinking was how much her and Lily would be besties. Her parents and little brother slowly grew to trust me. Me and my buddy played for hours. I waited with them every morning to see if their number was called. I was both happy and sad when it wasn’t. When my little buddy saw me she ran and hugged me as tight as she could. She was mischievous and probably one of the cutest kids I have ever seen.

Then one day their number was called. My little buddy was inconsolable and honestly if I didn’t have to convince her that this was good, I would have been a mess. I finally calmed her down and told her I needed to draw a picture on her back so she could remember me. What I was actually doing was writing her parents info and phone numbers as well as their contact in the US. She asked if I could draw a heart on her hand, so I did. And then she jumped in my arms and in English whispered in my ear “I love you Lisa.” Until that moment I had no idea she spoke any english and turned to look at her mom and saw tears in her eyes. I knew she taught her how to say it to me and we will share a bond for the rest of our lives because of that one beautiful moment. I stayed with them until they were loaded into the van to be taken away. My buddy held my hand through the fence until she had to be loaded in. Her mom ran over and asked if I would find my little buddy and help her if her and her husband are deported. All I could say was I would do my best and I loved them.

ICE has a locator website. I have the entire families’ info. You cannot look up minors under 18. I have yet to find the mother or father. As of tonight, I have no way to know where they are, if they are together or separated or how any of them are doing. It keeps me up at night. When I watch Lily fall asleep, I imagine my little buddy’s mama doing the same. We are both mothers that love our children. We both want our children to be happy and safe. I have to imagine it, because thinking of it being any other way has left me vomiting. I hope one day I find them and my little buddy and Lily can have a beach day or a city trip or anything as long as they are happy and safe.

Originally posted on FB on February 11 at 9:35 PM

Trump (and Zeldin) are creating MS13’s across America

David Posnett — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 16:22:08 +0000

On Feb 5, 2019, at 7:36 AM, Judith Hope wrote:

“It’s all about spotlighting MS13 to inflame support for his Wall. It needs to be said (often & loudly) that gang violence is largely a result of young people who have been separated from parental influence. Trump and the GOP have separated thousands of young children & youths from their families at the border, and LOST TRACK of them! They are responsible for creating future MS13’s all over America.”

I don’t know many gang members! But I know of one example (hear say info). They are a set of brothers. The younger one was born prematurely because his mother was beat up by his dad when she was 26 weeks pregnant. The mother later died of unknown causes and the father was essentially absentee, siring many children from different partners. He was a wife beater. The 2 boys (both born in this country) were picked up by the Latin Kings and taught how to become car thiefs. They both spent time in jail. They can be violent. They never had parents…

Relevant posts:

1) From Perry Gershon’s FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/perry4congress/posts/355618388366690?__tn__=-R

2) From the Dailly Beast: Mother and daughter separated at the border

3) Livestream congressional hearing “Examining the Failures of the Trump Administration’s Inhumane Family Separation Policy” – TODAY

4) Feb 10, Sunday at 12:30: Where Are The Children Protest Rally – Rt 110 and Jericho Tpke Huntington

Stop the Tears Rally

David Posnett — Sat, 01 Dec 2018 23:35:15 +0000

Zero Tolerance is still happening. Propublica just published this story:

“A Defendant Shows Up in Immigration Court by Himself. He’s 6.”

Earlier today various concerned citizen groups held a rally to protest the continuing separation of families at the border.

Dr. Eve Krief is a pediatrician on Long Island. She writes:

WHY WE RALLY: It’s easy to get distracted by the Mueller Investigation, by planning for control of the House, by pushing for a progressive agenda in NY State. But we must pause for a moment and think about the children suffering right now because of this administration’s horrific policies. We must not forget them. We must keep up the pressure.

Children were tear gassed at the border violating US humanitarian policy and harming children
An unprecedented 14,000 children are being held in detention indefinitely. Parents and relatives are afraid to come forward to care for them because of the administration’s zero tolerance policy. Pediatricians know that no time in detention is appropriate for children. They should be in loving community settings.
Detention facility staff is not required to have FBI clearance, which the President of the American Academy of Pediatrics has said puts the children in danger.
We have learned that the administration is still indiscriminately separating children from their parents
Our country has virtually locked our borders to asylum seekers escaping dangerous and life threatening situations. THIS IS NOT WHO WE ARE. THIS IS NOT WHAT WE WANT OUR COUNTRY TO BE. WE MUST MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD. Please join us in protest.

21 State Attorneys General Demand Sessions End the “Zero Tolerance Policy”

David Posnett — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 16:48:29 +0000

Twenty-one State AGs have a demanded that the Trump Administration end the policy that is the root of the disastrous family separation situation unfolding on the South border.

STATE OF NEW MEXICO

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

HECTOR H. BALDERAS ATTORNEY GENERAL

June 19, 2018

The undersigned Attorneys General write to express our strong opposition to the Department of Justice’s new “zero tolerance” policy of forcibly separating all families that cross the border illegally, including those seeking asylum. The policy is not only inhumane, but it also raises serious concerns regarding the violation of children’s rights, constitutional principles of due process and equal protection, and the efforts of state law enforcement officials to stop crime. Because of these concerns, we demand that the Department of Justice immediately cease these draconian practices.

On April 6, 2018, the Attorney General announced a new “zero tolerance” policy, calling for the immediate criminal prosecution of all individuals who illegally enter the United States, including those seeking asylum. Under this policy, adults who enter the United States are brought to federal prisons, instead of immigrant detention centers, and their children are treated as “unaccompanied minors” and forcibly placed into the care of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement.

As you are aware, the fundamental rights of children are expressed in international, federal, and state bodies of law. Each of these laws is, at its core, designed to protect the best interests of children. These laws are representative of the views of millions of Americans that the government, in any process, should first and foremost seek to protect those interests. Almost universally, the statutory mandates and the litany of cases interpreting them overwhelmingly express that a child’s best interests are served by remaining with his or her family, absent a rigorous judicial inquiry resulting in a finding that a parent is unfit or proof beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime has been committed. Policies that separate a child from his or her parent absent that level of inquiry, would not only be illegal under most state laws, but also may be contrary to the policy views of state legislatures and their constituents across this country.

These views are complemented by numerous laws and judicial precedent that mandate and hold that parents have a fundamental right to raise their children. This principle is affirmed in both state and federal law, by both statute and judicial precedent. The notion that the government should intrude into the rights of a parent to be with their child has historically been met with extremely high levels of scrutiny. Thus, the deliberate separation of families for the express purpose of furthering an immigration policy is contrary to our laws.

Not only is it highly concerning that current Department of Justice policies may be in contravention of the express purpose of these legal mandates, but these practices directly interfere with the efforts of our offices and other enforcement officials—locally, nationally, and internationally—to prevent and prosecute crime. In most states, Attorneys General are responsible for enforcing laws that include human trafficking, drug trafficking, and gang violence offenses. As you are keenly aware, these issues are rarely local in context; rather, they require the efforts and collaboration of law enforcement officials across both state and international borders to prevent the widespread and syndicated perpetration of these crimes. These efforts rely on reporting and cooperation from survivors of these crimes and victims of criminal organizations. The practice of mandatory family separation is both inhumane and contrary to the efforts of the law enforcement and others who dedicate their tireless efforts to stopping violent criminals.

Put simply, the deliberate separation of children and their parents who seek lawful asylum in America is wrong. This practice is contrary to American values and must be stopped. We demand that you immediately reverse these harmful policies, as it is in the best interests of the children and families affected.

Sincerely,

Hector Balderas Xavier Becerra
Attorney General of California

George Jepsen Matthew P. Denn
Attorney General of Connecticut Attorney General of Delaware

Karl Racine

Attorney General for the District of Columbia

Lisa Madigan
Attorney General of Illinois

Janet Mills
Attorney General of Maine

Maura Healy
Attorney General of Massachusetts

Gurbir Grewal
Attorney General of New Jersey

Russell Suzuki
Attorney General of Hawaii

Thomas J. Miller Attorney General of Iowa

Brian Frosh
Attorney General of Maryland

Lori Swanson
Attorney General of Minnesota

Barbara D. Underwood Attorney General of New York

Josh Stein
Attorney General of North Carolina

Josh Shapiro
Attorney General of Pennsylvania

Thomas J. Donovan, Jr. Attorney General of Vermont

Bob Ferguson
Attorney General of Washington

Ellen Rosenblum
Attorney General of Oregon

Peter F. Kilmartin
Attorney General of Rhode Island

Mark R. Herring
Attorney General of Virginia