Citing stories of malnutrition and medical neglect, 136 House Democrats led by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer on Wednesday demanded that President Obama release illegal moms and kids from “jail-like” Department of Homeland Security facilities.
In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, the Democrats charged that DHS “has not fully grasped the serious harm being inflicted upon mothers and children” held in “jail-like” facilities awaiting action of their asylum and immigration cases.
“We believe it is undeniable that detention in a security facility is detrimental to mothers and children and is not reflective of our values as a nation. Children require special protections and should not be placed in jail-like settings,” said the letter.
Reps. Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer demand the release of illegal moms and kids from DHS facilities. AP Photo
It comes as Secrets is reporting that up to 30,000 more illegal and unaccompanied children from Latin America are expected to cross into the United States this year. The issue has become tangled in the 2016 presidential race.
The Democrats charged that jailing kids has serious long-lasting impacts on their health. What’s more, they cited several stories of children in custody suffering health troubles that have been ignored.
From the letter: “We are disturbed by the fact that many mothers and children remain in family detention despite serious medical needs. In the past year, we have learned of the detention of children with intellectual disabilities, a child with brain cancer, a mother with a congenital heart disorder, a 14-day-old baby, a 12-year-old child who has not eaten solid food for two months, among many others. Recently, we learned of a three-year-old child at the Berks County Residential Center who was throwing up for three days and was apparently offered water as a form of medical treatment. It was only after the child began throwing up blood on the fourth day that the facility finally transferred her to a hospital. This is simply unacceptable. We cannot hear reports of serious harm to children in custody and do nothing about it.”
The letter adds, “Detaining mothers and children in jail-like settings is not the answer. We have an opportunity to do the right thing and are confident that DHS has the capacity to honor our nation’s longstanding commitment both to the protection and well-being of refugee families and to law enforcement and public safety.”
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
