Las Americas IAC Statement on Trump Administration’s Expanding Family Detention and ICE Raids

EL PASO, TEXAS – In response to the Trump administration's decision to resume the detention of immigrant families in two Texas facilities, including the US Army base of Fort Bliss situated at the heart of El Paso, Texas, Jennifer Babaie, Director of Advocacy and Legal Services at Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center in El Paso, Texas, New Mexico and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, released the following statement:

“This pattern of flagrant disregard for the lives and welfare of children and families shows that the Trump administration continues to seek ways of intentionally inflicting violence and trauma on innocent children. Dozens of children have died after coming into our nation’s immigration custody. Many others have suffered severe emotional and mental harm as a result of detention. They endure days and weeks without sunlight, are separated from their siblings and parents, and receive no explanation for why they are imprisoned or how long they will be there. They often face cold nights sleeping in cells with the lights on 24/7. These are just some of the harsh conditions we have put children as young as four in. 

“At Las Americas, we believe in supporting families and keeping them together, not tearing them apart. The community of El Paso does not deserve to be the staging ground for the administration’s targeting of brown and Black families. We