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Should kids be taken away from their parents

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Introduction

Over the years, the United States has been a country that welcomes all immigrants.

However, after Donald Trump became the President, immigration became a controversial topic

in America1. According to President Trump, the United States had become overcrowded as a

result of illegal entry of dangerous, undocumented immigrants. As a result, the president ordered

heightened security at the Mexico-United States border. The president went further and signed an

executive order, the Zero tolerance immigration policy, that was designed to keep the

undocumented immigrant families detained at the United States-Mexico border2. The policy

enforced by the president led to separation of families as parents were taken into custody to be

questioned while the kids were subsequently placed in several detention centers. In addition, the

immigration officers separated the children from their parents and did not give an explanation as

to when they would be reunited again with their parents. The detained immigrants should have

the right to be treated with humanity and dignity. The immigrant families were affected in many

ways as a result of the actions of the United States government. As the parents were locked up,

the children were affected as they suffered from abuse, as well as poor living conditions3.

Moreover, the deportation of children and immigrant families had serious impact on the

communities as well as Americans.

Thesis Statement: The undocumented immigrants’ children suffered as a result of the

legal status of their parents as they experienced disruption of their education, depression and

other mental health disorders, and communication difficulties.

1
Olivas, M. A. 2020. Perchance to Dream: A Legal and Political History of the Dream ACT and Daca. New York
University Press.
2
Schrag, P. G. 2020. Baby jails: The fight to end the incarceration of refugee children in America. Oakland,
California: University of California Press
3
Hiemstra, N. 2019. Detain and deport: The chaotic U.S. immigration enforcement regime. Athens, Georgia: The
University of Georgia Press
 3

I. Supporting idea #1: It was unethical for the Trump administration to separate the kids of

undocumented immigrants from their families.

While a majority of Americans think the President Trump administration decision to

separate the kids of undocumented immigrants from their families was wrong, there are those

with differing opinions and believed that for entering the country illegally, all undocumented

immigrants ought to face any form punishment. Besides concerned citizens, the zero-tolerance

immigration policy drew criticism from several human right groups as well as religious

organizations, indicating how bad the idea to separate the children from their parents was4. After

much criticism, in June 2018, the president was forced to put an end to the zero-tolerance

immigration policy. Subsequently, the federal courts directed various government departments

and agencies to begin reuniting the families. In the detention centers, the children were

discovered ti have been living in dreadful conditions. According to the parents of these children,

the children lived in substandard conditions and showed mental distress signs5. Moreover, there

were cases of sexual and physical abuse reported in the detention centers. Childhood separation,

according to psychologists, can have life-long impacts, causing cognitive and emotional

problems to a person later in life. Despite the intervention by the federal courts requiring the

various agencies to facilitate reunification of the families, about 431 children could not be

reunited with their families since their parents had already been deported. I believe this is an

4
The Times Editorial Board. 2018. Family Separation and Detention Are Bad Immigration Practices. Opposing
Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, opposing Viewpoints in Context,
https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/VQNYNO829834581/OVIC?u=msmu_gvrl&sid=OVIC&xid=d5d4ba4f,
originally published as ‘Caging immigrant children alongside their parents isn’t much of a solution,’ Los Angeles
Times
5
Gardner, Cory. 2015. It Is Unfair to Deny Innocent Immigrant Children Legal Status.” Illegal Immigration, edited
by Noël Merino, Greenhaven Press. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,
https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010226408/OVIC?u=msmu_gvrl&sid=OVIC&xid=3e323847, originally
published as “Addressing the Immigration Status of Illegal Immigrants Brought to the United States as Children
 4

issue of ethics. A child should never be separated from the parents considering the impact this

can have on the life of the child.

II. Supporting idea #2: Besides the obvious mental and psychological distress, detained children

experience food insecurity and poverty.

The development of children throughout their lives is impacted by naturing they receive

from their parents6. Therefore, sperating the children from their parents is not ideal. Studies have

established that over seven million children who are below the age of eighteen live with their

parents. Half of these children are undocumented immigrants. As witnessed in 2018, the U.S.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency thinks riping a family apart is okay. Even today,

the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency continue to separate immigrant children

from their families and are either deported back to their home country or taken into detention

centers7. As pointed earlier, such separation has long term negative impacts on the development

as well as mental health of the children. Such children often develop severe physiological

distress, anxiety, as well as show behavioral changes including symproms such as toxic stress as

a result of fear that their parents are going to be deported. Studies have established that as a

result of being detained, a majority of children of immigrant undocumented parents often suffer

from post- traumatic stress disorder8. In addition to this, these children are likely to experience

food insecurity and poverty, resulting in decline in their physical health. Also, besides their

education being interrupted, the children are likely to depict behavioral changes. Studies show

6
Bonnie, R. J., National Research Council (U.S.), National Research Council (U.S.), & National Research Council
(U.S.). 2013. Reforming juvenile justice: A developmental approach. Washington, District of Columbia: The
National Academies Press
7
Briggs, L. 2020. Taking children: A history of American terror. Oakland, California: University of California Press
8
Gardner, Cory. 2015. It Is Unfair to Deny Innocent Immigrant Children Legal Status.” Illegal Immigration, edited
by Noël Merino, Greenhaven Press. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,
https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010226408/OVIC?u=msmu_gvrl&sid=OVIC&xid=3e323847, originally
published as “Addressing the Immigration Status of Illegal Immigrants Brought to the United States as Children
 5

that detained children are afraid, aggressive, more anxious, angry, withdarawn, clingy, often cry,

and change their eating as well as sleeping patterns.

III. Supporting idea #3: The immigration detain system is corrupt and the government ought to

look into it and change it.

The enforcers in the Immigrant Detention centers have the obligation of taking care of the

immigrants, be it children or adults, and ensuring that they are safe. However, as witnessed in

2018, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency failed to do so as they

neglected the children of undocumented immigrants in the detention centers. Additionally, the

constantly lied for instance, as witnessed from various social networking platforms and at CNN,

the human resources had lost over two thousand children and could not get in contact with the

families of these children9. In addition, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement

agency failed to take responsibility for this disaster. A statement from the United States

Department of Health and Human Services was no better. According to them, after the children

are placed with sponsors, they are no longer at their custody and as such, they are no longer

legally responsible10. Despite there being numerous cases of children who had not been reunited

with their families, the United States Department of Health and Human Services never followed

up. In addition, the department continually lied to these children by telling them that they would

soon be reunited with their families, only to place them back in random detention centers.

Moreover, there were cases of guards who physically as well as sexually assaulted the children11.

9
Cruz, R.P., and Schwietert, J. 2021. BOOK OF ROSY: A mother's story of separation at the border. S.l.:
HARPERONE
10
The Times Editorial Board. 2018. Family Separation and Detention Are Bad Immigration Practices. Opposing
Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, opposing Viewpoints in Context,
https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/VQNYNO829834581/OVIC?u=msmu_gvrl&sid=OVIC&xid=d5d4ba4f,
originally published as ‘Caging immigrant children alongside their parents isn’t much of a solution,’ Los Angeles
Times
11
Clarke-Fields, H., & Naumburg, C. 2019. Raising Good Humans: A Mindful Guide to Breaking the Cycle of
Reactive Parenting and Raising Kind, Confident Kids. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications
 6

IV. Supporting idea #4: The children of undocumented immigrant families were stripped off of

their privacy and basic human rights.

After President Trump signed the Zero tolerance immigration policy the homeland

security police patrol gathered the children of a majority of immigrant families and subsequently

placed them in detention centers across the country where they stayed in atrocious environmental

living condition12. These children were treated like criminals in penitentiary. For instance, as

reported by the media, numerous children were placed in steel wires and cages that were

surrounded by a fencing net that stretched across the top. Additionally, according to the news at

the time, the condition in the immigration detention centers was so horrific that the Border Patrol

and the United States Custom debated wether they made the right descion placing the children

there after a video emerged showing the children sleeping under what appeared to be aluminum

foil blankets13. Moreover, the children in these detention centers never had proper childcare

environment such as toys to play with or a playground where they could interact. They were also

not provided with regualar three meals a day which forced some of them to try run away. This

was no way to treat human beings, especially children.

V. Supporting idea #5: The immigration laws adopted by President Trump failed to protect the

children.

The solution of Trump administration to detain the entire family together while the

parents were being charged with misdemeanor for illegal entry was not a better idea14. The

children are innocent regardless of their parents’ crimes and thus, do not belong in detention

12
Wolf, A. 2020. Just immigration in the Americas: A feminist account. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield
13
Schrag, P. G. 2020. Baby jails: The fight to end the incarceration of refugee children in America. Oakland,
California: University of California Press
14
The Times Editorial Board. 2018. Family Separation and Detention Are Bad Immigration Practices. Opposing
Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, opposing Viewpoints in Context,
https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/VQNYNO829834581/OVIC?u=msmu_gvrl&sid=OVIC&xid=d5d4ba4f,
originally published as ‘Caging immigrant children alongside their parents isn’t much of a solution,’ Los Angeles
Times
 7

centers or jail. The administration relied heavily on incarceration which was a terrible idea. The

government should have released the children together with their parents unless the parents were

a big threat to the United States. Rather than keeping the children in detention centers, the

government could have opted to use ankle bracelets to ensure that the undocumented immigrants

showed up in court15. With the adoption of the zero-tolerance immigration policy, the Trump

administration thought that they would curb the issue of immigration. To justify its actions, the

administration claimed that it didn’t create a policy to separate the families at the border since it

had a statutory responsibility of protecting alien children from human trafficking, smuggling as

well as other crimininal activities while enforcing their immigration laws16. However, instead of

protecting the children, they ended up hurting them more with the poor living conditions.

According to the administration, separating the children from their families was a way of

protecting them as they wanted to gather information on whether or not their parents were

innocent. An individual should not be considered a criminal for merely entering a country

illegally as several factors could force them to do so for instance, seeking political asylum17.

However, according to the Trump administration, any person entering a country illegally is a

criminal and as such, the children should not stay with such individuals so as to protect them.

Such actions cannot be considered as enforcing the law but as child abuse as they only hurt the

children they claimed to protect.

Conclusion

15
Eddy, J. M., & Poehlmann-Tynan, J. 2019. Handbook on children with incarcerated parents: Research, policy,
and practice. Cham: Springer
16
Hiemstra, N. 2019. Detain and deport: The chaotic U.S. immigration enforcement regime. Athens, Georgia:
The University of Georgia Press
17
Bonnie, R. J., National Research Council (U.S.), National Research Council (U.S.), & National Research Council
(U.S.). 2013. Reforming juvenile justice: A developmental approach. Washington, District of Columbia: The
National Academies Press
 8

It was unethical for the government of the United States to separate the undocumented

immigrants’ children from their parents after detaining the immigrants at the US-Mexico border.

Detention centers are not good environment for anyone, particularly children. It is astonishing

and disappointing to know that there were people in the white house that created the problem.

There is no justification of separating children from their parents and placing them in detention

centers. Despite a few people having no problem with the actions of the United States

government at the time, a majority of the Americans were appalled after finding out what was

happening at the border. Children are reliant on their parents for safety. Therefore, separating

them from their parents consequently made them lose their sense of safety. Despite the

administration of President Trump terminating the zero-tolerance immigration policy, the

damage had already been done and some children were never reunited with their families.

Undocumented children and immigrants are human too and therefore, should be treated as such.
 9

Bibliography

Briggs, L. 2020. Taking children: A history of American terror. Oakland, California:

University of California Press.

Bonnie, R. J., National Research Council (U.S.), National Research Council (U.S.), & National

Research Council (U.S.). 2013. Reforming juvenile justice: A developmental approach.

Washington, District of Columbia: The National Academies Press.

Clarke-Fields, H., & Naumburg, C. 2019. Raising Good Humans: A Mindful Guide to Breaking

the Cycle of Reactive Parenting and Raising Kind, Confident Kids. Oakland: New

Harbinger Publications.

Eddy, J. M., & Poehlmann-Tynan, J. 2019. Handbook on children with incarcerated parents:

Research, policy, and practice. Cham: Springer.

Gardner, Cory. 2015. It Is Unfair to Deny Innocent Immigrant Children Legal Status.” Illegal

Immigration, edited by Noël Merino, Greenhaven Press. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing

Viewpoints in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010226408/OVIC?

u=msmu_gvrl&sid=OVIC&xi d=3e323847, originally published as “Addressing the

Immigration Status of Illegal Immigrants Brought to the United States as Children.”

Hiemstra, N. 2019. Detain and deport: The chaotic U.S. immigration enforcement regime.

Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia Press

Olivas, M. A. 2020. Perchance to Dream: A Legal and Political History of the Dream ACT and

Daca. New York University Press.

Cruz, R.P., and Schwietert, J. 2021. BOOK OF ROSY: A mother's story of separation at the

border. S.l.: HARPERONE.

 1
0
Schrag, P. G. 2020. Baby jails: The fight to end the incarceration of refugee children in

America. Oakland, California: University of California Press

The Times Editorial Board. 2018. Family Separation and Detention Are Bad Immigration

Practices. Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, opposing Viewpoints in

Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/VQNYNO829834581/OVIC?

u=msmu_gvrl&sid=O VIC&xid=d5d4ba4f, originally published as ‘Caging immigrant children

alongside their parents isn’t much of a solution,’ Los Angeles Times.

Wolf, A. 2020. Just immigration in the Americas: A feminist account. Lanham, Maryland:

Rowman & Littlefield