For information contact:
Tammy Morales, Co-chair
tammy.j.morales@gmail.com
Shkelqim Kelmendi, Co-chair
shkelqimkelmendi@yahoo.com
SEATTLE – The Seattle Human Rights Commission (the Commission) calls on the Trump Administration to cease separation of children from their families. Removing children from their parents and detaining them in different states is an abhorrent practice that will leave families with lifelong trauma.
Whether as a deterrent or as retaliation against families, this policy is a clear violation of Article 9 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will unless it is for the best interests of the child. Further, when parents are separated from their children by the State, they are entitled to “the essential information concerning the whereabouts of the absent member(s) of the family.” The Commission is deeply troubled by the reports of parents having their children separated from them, then treated as though they had entered the country as unaccompanied minors and handed over to the Office of Refugee Resettlement.*
This policy isn’t about protecting children. It’s about retaliating against families for seeking a better life. The Seattle Human Rights Commission believes this policy to be immoral and we condemn it.
# # #
* https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-the-trump-administration-got-comfortable-separating-immigrant-kids-from-their-parents