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Women’s Commission urges Congress to support vital immigration amendment

Washington, DC

Kerry amendment would ensure the safety of children whose parents are caught in raids

The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children urges the U.S. Senate to approve an amendment to the immigration bill that would ensure the protection of children whose parents are detained in immigration raids. The amendment, introduced by Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) would require the Department of Homeland Security to inform social services if children are left behind and make sure that they are cared for.

“Sen. Kerry’s amendment will protect children who have done nothing wrong but who are left behind, often with no one to care for them when their parents are detained,” said Michelle Brané, director of detention and asylum at the Women’s Commission. “As a nation that values children, we must do all we can to ensure that as we enforce our laws, we ensure that these children caught in very unfortunate circumstances, through no fault of their own, are cared for.”

Immigrants in more than 39 states have been separated from their families since the Department of Homeland Security stepped up immigration raids on workplaces across the country. Parents swept up in these raids many times leave young children behind, some of whom are U.S. citizens, with no caretakers. The detainees are often transferred far from home and have no access to legal and social services.

Senator Kerry’s amendment to the “Secure Borders, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act of 2007” (S.1348) would protect alien detainees and their families from mistreatment and unnecessary separation from their children, especially U.S. citizen children, while they await adjudication of their cases.

The amendment, S. 1178, would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to ensure that, where possible, caretakers of minors be placed into available alternatives to detention programs, such as the Intensive Supervised Appearance Program, or detained close to home. ICE would also need to have social workers and appropriate translators available when carrying out a raid in which over 50 persons will be detained.

The Women’s Commission strongly supports Senator Kerry’s efforts to ensure the humane treatment of immigrant families and urges the Senate to adopt this amendment.