WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 25, 2018 – A statement from CEOs of some of the nation’s largest and most influential human service nonprofits regarding immigrant children reads as follows:
“The recent findings of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) regarding the 1,488 unaccounted for immigrant children who had been placed by the Department of Health and Human Services with sponsors is a matter of great concern for those of us representing the human services sector.
On behalf of the estimated five million staff and volunteers we represent, we call on the administration to take urgent action to ensure that children in the custody of the U.S. who are awaiting processing have access to the same level of care and oversight provided by our current child welfare system. This includes access to a safe environment appropriate for families, age-appropriate services including education, trauma-informed mental and other health services, and family-based legal and immigration counseling.
Furthermore, we support the bipartisan legislation Responsibility for Unaccompanied Minors Act, which puts into place important safeguards to ensure the safety of these immigrant children and their access to due process at immigration courts. Above all, it is the responsibility of our government to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of children in our care and we urge our leaders in Congress and the administration to uphold the humanitarian values we have long held as a nation.”