ICE/DHS and HHS practices and how it's resulted in missing and separated children
Background:
If you have any sort of online presence, you likely saw the AZ Central story focusing on:
1. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen telling Congress "within 48 hours of being taken into custody the children are transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services", and yes - they will be separate from their parents,
2. HHS Acting Secretary Steven Wagner's testimony re: ORR being unable to determine the whereabouts of 1,475 unaccompanied alien children. Here's the full transcript of his statement.
You probably also saw the PBS story:
1. Which confirms unaccompanied alien children have been released to human traffickers.
1. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen telling Congress "within 48 hours of being taken into custody the children are transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services", and yes - they will be separate from their parents,
2. HHS Acting Secretary Steven Wagner's testimony re: ORR being unable to determine the whereabouts of 1,475 unaccompanied alien children. Here's the full transcript of his statement.
You probably also saw the PBS story:
1. Which confirms unaccompanied alien children have been released to human traffickers.
So what do we do, you ask?
Your work is going to involve several steps:
1. Calling your elected and condemning Secretary Nielsen's flippant attitude toward separating children from their parents.
2. Then condemn the Trump plan to further expand upon the policy of separating families.
3. In that same call, ask Senators to begin to hold hearings to:
a. Determine how all of these children have lost communication with HHS, and
b. Pass legislation to expand the scope of the program and close loopholes, so it doesn't happen again. This is something Wagner expressed he was interested in, during his testimony:
1. Calling your elected and condemning Secretary Nielsen's flippant attitude toward separating children from their parents.
2. Then condemn the Trump plan to further expand upon the policy of separating families.
3. In that same call, ask Senators to begin to hold hearings to:
a. Determine how all of these children have lost communication with HHS, and
b. Pass legislation to expand the scope of the program and close loopholes, so it doesn't happen again. This is something Wagner expressed he was interested in, during his testimony:
4. And finally, call your local city/county government officials, and ask whether they have any agreements with ICE. E.g. Locally, the sheriff has an agreement with ICE to house detainees in local jails.
Any agreements should not be a secret -if they exist, your electeds should know and tell you.
And if you find out there IS an agreement, then:
1. Tell your city to give up the agreement, and
2. Ask they no longer work with ICE.
And if you find out there IS an agreement, then:
1. Tell your city to give up the agreement, and
2. Ask they no longer work with ICE.
Script:
You: Hi, my name is [name]. I am calling from [zip code].
You: I am calling to ask [elected] to please condemn Secretary Nielsen's comments about separating families at the border, during her 05/16 testimony in front of Senate Homeland Security. You: I am also asking [elected] to oppose the Trump Administration's decision to expand on the existing policy to separate families at the border. You: I am also expressing concern and would like an open investigation into ICE's practices of abusing young kids and teens in their care. This has been going on for several years, and Congress needs to stop overlooking their practices. You: Finally, given the revelations from acting secretary Steven Wagner's testimony re: the 1,475 migrant children who have been lost in the system, I am also asking [elected] to join with other members of Congress to hold hearings into the agency's practices, and to pass necessary legislation to expand the agency's scope + close loopholes. You: <Insert optional comments here> |
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As for your local electeds - call either your city council or county supervisor, and ask if the city/county has any contracts with ICE, particularly when it comes to detainees and local prisons. You can reference the SacBee article.