National PTA continues to be distressed by reports that children are being held in migrant detention centers under horrific conditions. A recent report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Inspector General indicated that conditions and treatment of undocumented youth and families at border control facilities in the Rio Grande Valley are in violation of the Flores Agreement and the National Standards on Transport, Escort, Detention and Search (TEDS) that require immediate action to address.
National PTA is committed to promoting the safety and well-being of all children regardless of their immigration status and as well as protecting undocumented youth from harmful separation from their parents or family members.
National PTA urges you to contact your members of Congress immediately to ensure the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) comply with federal law and standards and provide children and families access to hot meals, drinking water, access to basic hygiene and appropriate supervision. The action alert linked above will be sent out through National PTA’s Take Action network early this afternoon. We encourage you to share this action alert throughout your networks and post on social media.
Additionally, there are two congressional hearings this week in the U.S. House of Representatives that are relevant to this issue:
Date: Wednesday, July 10, 2019 - 2:00pm ET
Identifying, Preventing, and Treating Childhood Trauma: A Pervasive Public Health Issue that Needs Greater Federal Attention
Date: Thursday, July 11, 2019 - 10:00am ET
Date: Thursday, July 11, 2019 - 10:00am ET
Note: As you know, National PTA has a position statement on the childhood trauma, Trauma Informed Care.
National PTA will be advocating through social media on our positions and about the hearings. Following the border hearing on Wednesday, we will consider an appropriate response to the administrative agencies responsible to ensure the humane treatment of migrant youth and families.
The National PTA staff continues to monitor the situation and we will continue to advocate for family unity and to ensure that all children, regardless of their immigration status, have the right to access a quality public education, adequate food and shelter, and basic health care services.
