Washington, D.C. – On the heels of devastating Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shootings in Minnesota, and with the U.S. Senate poised to take up spending bills this week, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) urges Congress to rein in immigration enforcement activities that undermine child protection and use its power to push for meaningful reforms to the Department that are essential to upholding the safety and well-being of children.
“Over the past year, KIND has witnessed firsthand the severe harms suffered by children due to misguided DHS immigration enforcement actions that disregard children’s vulnerability and basic safety,” said KIND President Wendy Young. “Congress must act now to end the grave harm that DHS is inflicting on children. It should use its power to make clear that DHS policies should safeguard children, as well as prioritize their well-being and best interests.”
Recent examples of DHS’s harmful actions against children include:
- Schools in Minneapolis closed recently after DHS agents tackled and handcuffed students at school dismissal;
- In separate incidents in Minneapolis, a 5-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl were arrested and remain in detention centers out of state;
- In Portland, DHS agents detained a family in the parking lot of a health center while the family attempted to obtain care for their 7-year-old daughter; and
- In New York and around the country, DHS agents separated families at immigration courts who sought to participate in their legal proceedings.
KIND notes that not only do children deserve better—their welfare depends on it. As the appropriations process continues, the organization urges Congress to secure changes to DHS policies and practices that reflect children’s needs and vulnerabilities by reining in harsh and misguided immigration enforcement approaches that render children less safe, not more. These changes include, to name a few:
- As had previously been longstanding practice, prohibiting DHS immigration enforcement at or near “sensitive locations” including schools, churches, health care centers, and courts;
- Bolstering and codifying directives designed to protect the rights of parents in ICE detention or subject to immigration enforcement; and
- Preventing unnecessary and traumatic family separations.
Young concluded, “Children will continue to needlessly suffer absent these and other DHS reforms, guardrails, and restrictions. The time for meaningful action is now.”
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Media Contact: Megan McKenna, mmckenna@supportkind.org, 202-631-9990