As numerous articles have detailed, the situation at the border is so harmful that it needs to be stopped. Right now. Not in 2020, when we will probably take back the White House and hopefully the Senate. People are dying because they sought asylum. We cannot wait any longer.
To briefly review (please share these facts and links for any who have questions!):
- Seeking asylum in the closest safe country is LEGAL by US and international law. People risk everything to escape violence and death in their countries of origin, so anything legal we do to them will not deter them. Reports state that 60-80% of women and girls are raped along the way. There have been tens of thousands of kidnappings for ransom. No one knows exactly how many die along the way. Probably tens of thousands more.
- Adult asylum seekers are packed like sardines in US concentration cages for weeks in filthy conditions, spreading disease, “standing on toilets in the cells to make room and gain breathing space”.
- There is no need to hold anyone! Just provide them an attorney. Without an attorney, they may miss some hearings due to miscommunication, although approximately 85% manage. With an attorney, nearly 100% attend all their required hearings. If you still think we should not trust asylum seekers, require ankle bracelets.
- Despite a court order and some family reunifications, likely thousands of children continue to be separated from their parents.
- Conditions in child concentration cages include overcrowding and being held for far longer than stated policy, trying to sleep in the cold on concrete whilst the lights are on all night, with no beds, no diapers, no soap, no toothpaste, no toothbrushes, lousy food, sugary drinks. Also lice, the flu, other diseases sure to come in such stressful conditions. Since there are no caring adults, children are trying their best to take care of babies.
- Ripping children away is also completely unnecessary! They usually either enter the country with family or come here to meet up with family who want to care for them. The rest can be provided foster care.
- Supplies are well within affordability for all these facilities. The cruelty — and profits at the expense of the children — is the point! We pay $775 per person per day for this. It used to be about $150.
- Result: Permanent damage to their physical and mental health, for no good reason. Note also that former American captives of the Taliban and pirates have said they were treated better than we are treating these children! Billions of our tax dollars are paying for this. Read the sorts of mental problems we are creating for these children in ohamaker’s excellent diary. Take tissues.
- So far, 6 children have died in CBP custody, as far as we know. Others have likely died and have been covered up. Say their names: Darlyn, 10; Jaakelin, 7; Felipe, 8; Juan, 16; Wilmer, 2; Carlos, 16. Their photos and stories are at the link. Below is one of many. They will break your heart.
The facts are difficult to face. But we can’t let our compassion drain us of energy. #DontLookAway! Instead, resolve to do everything you can to change public policy.
There are MANY things we can do to work toward putting a stop to this. When we all work together, we succeed! Don’t forget that not only did protests stop a Reptublican Congress from repealing Obamacare, we took over the House because of health care. When we want something badly enough to protest and confront repeatedly, we still get it.
So right now, the first thing we can do is show up in Bigly Huge numbers tomorrow at the Lights for Liberty candlelight vigil Friday evening. Invite family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, acquaintances, churches, doctors, nurses, hospital staff, teachers, social workers, everyone with an interest in children, in doing the right thing, everyone regardless of political affiliation (this should not be a partisan issue), invite them all to show up with you. There are more than 600 registered events in towns and cities worldwide — or create your own! I know it’s last minute, but you can still contact Lights for Liberty to register. Or just light candles outdoors at your home tomorrow night at the same time as your closest local events. If you can travel farther afield, great! There are larger demonstrations at the concentration cages themselves.
I wrote to the local Catholic diocese (asking them to round up all the religious in the area), as a very lapsed Catholic, and included the relevant passages from Matthew 25 (King James version of the Bible):
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Make them face what they are willing to do — or not do — to the least of these.
Face to face, in person confrontation usually works the best. The next face to face action is to meet your legislators and presidential candidates at local town halls. Those can be found at the Indivisible website, who keep a running list. Go to them, Democrat or Reptublican, and give them heck! Tell them to pass the “Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act” that was introduced today and act immediately to stop the abuses:
But of course, not everyone is up to joining in face to face action. If all you can do is something from home, that’s OK too! According to Indivisible: A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda, the more trouble it takes you to contact your politicians, the more they pay attention. So when you can manage the time and effort, put your body out there, but when you can’t, do what you can. Face-to-face meeting, town hall or protest march > calling > faxing if you can’t get through on regular phone > tweeting publicly > writing letters (because they may arrive late) > personal email > petition or group email. Do whatever level you can do!
To write your letter then fax it for free: FaxZero: Create and send faxes for free to anywhere in the U.S. and Canada (up to five free faxes per day) or GotFreeFax: Send free fax online to the U.S. and Canada (a bit easier to use, but only up to two free faxes per day).
Easy resource to find your politicians’ phone, email, etc: The AARP has an action site, Advocacy - Legislative Action Center - AARP. I know AARP isn’t perfect, but it has a nifty feature for everyone: Look down to the right, where it says “find your state legislators”. Put in your zip code. It returns federal, state AND local politicians, NOT just legislators. If you need more than phone numbers and email addresses, it has clickable links to their web pages,which should have up-to-date contact information including fax numbers, street addresses, appearance schedule, how to schedule appointments, and constituent services. Try the link for “Office Locations”.
Twitter accounts!: Per Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA), both call and tweet your Congresscritters! See links for Congresscritters on Twitter here.
Please feel free to share and/or reprint this diary in whole or in part (with attribution) far and wide, other websites or newspapers, I give it freely. Our aim is for millions to take action.
Then there are the Media! Why are the media not reporting on children in concentration cages like they did Iran hostages? A lot of people think the child separation policy was already resolved! *rump gave it lip service, but no, children are still caged in crowded conditions away from their families, as noted above. It is day 386 since *rump signed his executive order “stopping his policy of separating families at the border” and thousands of children remain separated! Tell the media that this should be the headline on every newscast until the children are freed.
Tell ABC to cover this and keep covering it until the children are released!
Tell CBS to cover this and keep covering it until the children are released!
Tell NBC to cover this and keep covering it until the children are released!
If the NBC form doesn’t work: NBC Contact Information:
“To report an error or comment on NBCNews.com, please email contact.nbcnews@nbcuni.com “.
What would you do if it was her? (proportionately, the children are in much smaller cages)
And finally if you would rather donate (or also wish to donate) and/or volunteer with the legal groups fighting for these children:
Lawyers for Good Government:
Pledge your extra airline miles to getting lawyers to the camp
Donate money to get lawyers to the camp
Charity Navigator: This organization hasn't been in business long enough to be rated.
Lawyers for Good Government: You can also volunteer!
Raicestexas They also take supplies for immigrants who are newly released, food, clothing, old cars, etc., etc. www.raicestexas.org/…
Charity Navigator gives RAICES 3 out of 4 stars — but despite 3 stars for transparency, RAICES has also earned a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar! They also have 4 stars for financials. They have closed 51,000 cases.
You Can Also Volunteer for RAICES — lawyer or not, adult or not.
Can’t decide or want more groups?
Actblue.org has set up a portal to donate simultaneously to over a dozen advocacy and aid groups working to help the kids. Support Kids At The Border
Donate and/or volunteer for lawyers involved in the Flores court actions and monitoring:
The Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, learn more about them at the link. Per Charity Navigator, not big enough to be rated, but here’s their page, www.charitynavigator.org/…
National Center for Youth Law, much more info at the link. Per Charity Navigator, 4 out of 4 stars, www.charitynavigator.org/…
Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, more at the link. Per Charity Navigator, not yet rated, www.charitynavigator.org/…
Thank you for taking action!