The embattled U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has been accused of illegally keeping children as young as five-years-old"locked up and suffering" at a detention center in Karnes City, Texas for more than a month.
"These detentions are part of a disturbing recent trend in which DHS is holding children in Karnes far longer than the 20 days allowed by Flores," RAICES said in a statement released on Wednesday."In so doing, both Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement violate the civil rights and liberties of these children and their fathers."
"His son 'used to be a very active and friendly boy' but has become 'depressed' and 'feels the heaviness of this place' in his weeks-long detention," RAICES said. The organization said that since being taken into federal custody, the young boy had suffered stomach aches, fever and an allergic rash. "When speaking about his son, the father says he's become 'sad and desperate' when other families are released from detention," RAICES said.
Meanwhile, the American Academy of Pediatrics has asserted that even short detention periods can have significant impacts on children's health, with the potential of causing"psychological trauma" and inducing"long-term mental health risks for children." The academy has said that there"is no evidence indicating that any time in detention is safe for children."
"RAICES is against family detention, period," the organization said."The practice is abominable and retrograde. The United States is worse off because of it. We hope this complaint begins a serious attempt to end to family detention, once and for all."
. They are under presidential orders. .
'accused' 'reportedly' 'according to sources' 'apparently' 'Journalism'
if they weren't here illegally in the first place this wouldn't be an issue