Rhode Island echo letter ~ Protect immigrant children

Innocent immigrant children separated from their adult parents who cross the US border remains at a staggering number, as the Donald Trump administration continues to ignore the significant traumatic consequences that many child welfare professionals spoke about, when we learned about the accelerated parental separation policy.

The traumatic impact experienced by separated children and families has been documented via numerous videotaped reunification meetings.

Detained children and youth are reportedly experiencing depression, suicidal thoughts and other troubling symptoms and behaviors. The federal government is reportedly increasing its youth detention center capacity by 20 percent while the length of stay has doubled in four years. There is no clear, actionable plan to keep the close to 500 separated children from becoming permanently orphaned.

We must keep up the pressure to address the needs of these children with compassionate, trauma-informed and child-focused approaches and interventions to this humanitarian crisis.

Darlene Allen, Providence, Rhode Island