By Jacob key
More than 11,000 children are currently detained along the United States border in 100 shelters across 17 states. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 3,280 females and 8,506 males are currently detained. The Zero-Tolerance Immigration Policy states, “This policy allows the U.S. government to separate families who seek asylum in the U.S. by crossing the border without documentation” (Office of Immigrant Affairs).
Why are families separated?
Since President Trump enacted the Zero Tolerance Immigration policy, any illegal immigrant caught crossing the border is taken into custody by Border Patrol . Parents who attempt to cross the border along with children have to be separated since parents have to await trial. While these parents await trial, their children, as minors, are held in detention centers. The overall and foremost reason why this is happening is that the policy refers to all adults, regardless of whether they cross alone or with their children (The Washington Post). All parents are being prosecuted.
What are the conditions of the Detention Centers?
Reporters and hidden cameras have captured the harsh conditions children are being subjected to in detention camps across the border. Many have to sleep in cages with very thin blankets. Kids go hungry and thirsty. There is little access to showers. Some are not lucky enough to have somewhere to sleep. Children held at these detention centers do not have access to clean clothing. For the time that they are there, they have to wear the same clothes. According to Buzzfeed News Reporter, Claudia Koerner, “Immigrant children and teens held in U.S. detention centers along the southern border described being cold and hungry while crowded into cages with little or no access to showers, clean clothes, or even a place to sleep.”(Buzzfeed News).
What are the after-effects?
Due to the time spent at these centers, many children who are released tend to suffer from long term effects. According to, Harvard Kennedy School, Shoreenstien center on media, politics and public policy) “The PTSD screening results indicate that 17% had a probable diagnosis of PTSD.” Many of the children also go through mental effects. They can be seen in the words, “ Compared with children in the general U.S. population, detained children had higher rates of emotional and behavioral difficulties and PTSD”(Harvard Kennedy School, Shoreenstien center on media, politics and public policy). Many, while detained, became very sick due to the weather conditions. Nearly every child suffered from mass weight loss. Even children between the ages of 1 and 4 endured severe conditions such as “frequent crying, food refusal, and regression to bed wetting.” The source also stated that detainment“has a detrimental effect on the mental and physical health of children.”
Life after detainment
After a child is released from these detention centers they are deported back to the country of origin without their parents. Kids are left with tormenting memories of these detention centers. Many of these kids find it hard to get back in contact with their parents due to the fact they are deported separate times and locations. Many will never be able to forget the times they were kept captive.
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