June 6, 2019
The New York Times reported that the Trump administration plans to restrict or cancel education, legal aid, and playground recreation for migrant children held in government shelters. Sandy Santana, Executive Director of Children’s Rights, issued this statement:
“The administration’s directive halting education, recreation and legal services for unaccompanied immigrant children held in detention must be stopped in its tracks. Lack of funding is not a license to flout the Flores settlement and regulations and laws that require the government to promote the health and safety of children in its custody. But more importantly, these are children who have already experienced severe trauma and hardship. The facilities where they are being detained are already prison-like. Now we are telling them they cannot go to school, run in the playground or access a lawyer. We are telling them, yes, you are in jail. Congress and the administration need to work together to provide funding for these vital services and the administration must move quickly place children with sponsors – and stop traumatizing innocent children.”
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