Dear Friends:
Hearing the news that this administration was reversing the unholy practice of family separation was a brief relief. Never doubt for a second that your voices were loud and strong and that it made a difference in changing the policy by 180 degrees!
The Executive Order was issued 40 minutes ago. That should protect anyone not yet detained.
However, it does not protect those children and adults already separated, already in detention, already transported. We learned from Gov. Mario Cuomo that children were smuggled into a foster care center in New York City. They were flown to New York from border holding centers and have no idea where they are or where their parents are. One was 9 months old.
We need to keep our voices strong for getting access now to these centers. We need licensed social workers, Red Cross, human rights groups all to be able to start identifying children. We need to start a DNA registry for them and the adults. And we need to do this now.
Please call your representatives today and every single day from now on. You may call the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121. You may also contact them through our link here
Our "ask" is twofold - first we want our supportive elected officials to get access to these centers followed by immediate access by qualified personnel to start the reunification process and provide help to these children as we did in 2016 for the unaccompanied minors.
Second we want every representative to vote NO on both House immigration bills. These would restore the Draconian and inhumane treatment and make these separation policies actual law.
Another step to take
We have learned that ICE is transporting children on airlines, moving them out of reach of their parents, all under the guise of their being "sports teams". Flight attendants report the children are terrified and unable to speak up for themselves in this despicable transport. Today United Airlines and American Air both stated emphatically they will NOT be allowing such transport on their planes.
Please write to whatever airline you use often or any that you know about. There are email public contacts on both their customer pages and corporate pages online. Tell each airline to follow the lead of United and America - do not transport minor children being moved by ICE or Customs and Border Patrol. Before and during WW II, transport companies became complicit in moving Jews and Nazi prisoners of war. We cannot and will not tolerate these actions toward immigrant children, and neither should they.
Please continue to speak out. Please observe our Faithful Fridays to try to see House members in your local district. We made a significant change this weekend on behalf of families. We cannot let up now.
Thank you!
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