Texas opinion echo - stop child trauma end family separations

Echo opinion letter published in the Austin American Statesman, a Texas newspaper (in the Texas state capital):  

Separating children from parents inflicts trauma

Any parent or grandparent who has tried to soothe a young child after a separation of any length knows how traumatic separation is for children. Lengthy separation results in traumatic injury to children’s brains and impairment of their immune systems.

This kind of trauma is being inflicted on innocent immigrant kids at our borders. The Trump administration is continuing to separate young children from their families, locking them in Border Patrol cells without adequate food, hygiene, medical care and nurturing.

I urge readers to contact your members of Congress to urge them to include standards of care in the legislation that is moving forward to increase funding. And as citizens, we all need to apply pressure to the Trump administration to stop the practice of family separation once and for all.

Barbara Noblin, Austin