STOP Separating Children From Their Moms.

         Recent news reports have indicated that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is considering causing children psychological harm as a strategy to curb illegal immigration from Central America. It is contemplating separating mothers and children who cross the border without authorization. Regardless of whether this practice becomes official policy, it is already happening in
Texas.
        Texas immigration advocates have recently noted cases of mothers who have their children sent to detention facilities 300 miles away from them. Even though family detention centers have the capacity for more families, children are being taken from their mothers at the border and bused to different locations. Mothers have no means of contacting their children or knowing about their safety. I think ripping children from their mother's arms and sending them to separate detention facilities is not a deterrent. Separating mothers from their children is inhumane and has not, and will not, deter unauthorized entry into our country.
       Since 2011, the U.S. has seen a dramatic increase in arrivals of Central American immigrant women and their children. During the past two years, our government apprehended more than 100,000 immigrant families, primarily Central American women traveling with their children. So, it is clear from the above information that the number of women entering the United States with their children without any authorized documents has been increased. However, the prime motivation of women's to migrate U.S. are often tied to poverty, violence, and persecution in their home countries. I don't think any parent would ever do that journey with their kids unless the danger at home was so severe that they had no choice. So, crossing the border is often a decision of last resort as they search of safety and refuge.
     Separating children from their mothers erodes mental health and disrupts attachment, dynamics that may persist even after families are reunified. I completely agree with our President's decision of preventing illegal immigrants entering our country. But I think this policy is not an appropriate way to handle this issue. Instead, women and their children should be released to the community together, where they can proceed with the process of applying for asylum without having taxpayers foot the bill for detaining them and without their children experiencing any kind of harm.