HIAS Statement on Tent City for Immigrant Children

SILVER SPRING, Md.--HIAS condemns the Trump Administration’s decision to transport thousands of immigrant children to a tent camp in the Texan desert.

“Just because the images of children being torn from their parents’ arms are no longer dominating headlines, does not mean that this Administration has begun to show any compassion for children seeking safety in this country” said Naomi Steinberg, HIAS’ Senior Director, Policy and Advocacy. “The children now housed in the tent city were previously living in shelters or foster homes, places where they could go to school and had access to their legal teams. That is no longer the case.”

While stuck in Tornillo, Texas, the children will not have any educational opportunities, and their access to legal help is significantly limited. In addition, the tent city is not licensed or monitored by state child welfare experts. The Administration claims that the tents are necessary, because they do not have enough room to house the 13,000 immigrant children currently in detention.

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