American Academy of Pediatrics to DHS: Continued Detainment Harms Immigrant Families

Jul 28, 2015
8:55 AM

Late last week, Sandra G. Hassink, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), wrote a letter to Secretary Jeh Johnson of the Department of Homeland Security, stating that even though AAP applauds Johnson’s recent annoucement about policy changes in immigrant family detention centers, the organization “remain[s] concerned that continued detainment of any children and mothers in the existing facilities puts them at greater risk for physical and mental health problems and unnecessarily exposes children and mothers to additional psychological trauma.” The entire letter is published below. It concludes with this paragraph:

Above all else, we urge you to remember that these are children. They are scared, vulnerable children, many of whom have been victims of violence, and they need our compassion and assistance. We urge you do what’s best for their health and well-being.

AAP Letter About Family Detentions to Secretary Johnson