ICE Raids and Detentions Pose Threat to Children's Mental Health

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According to legal experts, the psychological well-being of children in the United States is under significant threat due to the effects of immigration raids and detentions. These concerns were highlighted by advocates for migrants who are witnessing the detrimental impact on young individuals.

During a recent press conference, Bob Sanborn, the president and CEO of Children at Risk—a non-partisan organization dedicated to research and advocacy—expressed grave concerns about the growing issue. He noted, “We are consistently observing the negative consequences on families, particularly on children, when they face incarceration or detainment for extended periods.”

Sanborn emphasized the urgent need for U.S. policies that prioritize the welfare of children and families, regardless of their heritage. “Public policy should aim to protect children, not inflict trauma upon them,” he asserted.

Furthermore, a recent memo has revealed that immigration officers wield considerable authority, allowing them to enter homes without a judge’s warrant. This unchecked power only exacerbates the fears and anxieties faced by immigrant families.

So far this year, 3,800 children have been detained by U.S. Immigration and Enforcement officers, said Krystal Gomez, managing attorney with the nonprofit Texas Immigration Law Council.

Gomez says in Minneapolis, 5,500 students or 20% of the children, have expressed an interest in online learning “because they’re afraid of enforcement activity in their neighborhoods.”

“What we’re all bearing witness to right now isn’t targeted enforcement against genuine threats to public safety, which is what we’ve been sold as this idea that immigration enforcement targets people who are dangerous. Instead, we’re seeing a systematic campaign that’s deliberately separating families and traumatizing children in an effort to get people to self deport or to not fight their cases,” Gomez said.

Dr. Jodi Berger Cardoso, a researcher at the University of Houston, says children who witness ICE raids or are detained in immigration facilities can experience “toxic stress,” depression, PTSD, anxiety and even psychotic disorders.

“Children have the right to be safe and not fear in their homes,” she said.

Gomez says several lawsuits have been filed against the detention conditions at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, formerly called the South Texas Family Residential Center, in in Dilley, Texas.

The lawsuits claim inhumane conditions and violations of the Flores Settlement Agreement, which limits the time children can be held in detention facilities, Gomez says.

The government wants to end the Flores Settlement agreement, which requires safe and sanitary conditions for immigrant children who are detained.

“The conditions in those facilities are something that no one should have to endure, much less children. They’ve reported moldy food, worms in food, inadequate medical care, and then children, as a result, have been emotionally withdrawing. They’ve stopped eating, stopped playing. They start disappearing into themselves. These policies are causing not just immediate harm, but they’re also creating lifelong harm,” Gomez says. “All that trauma interferes with learning and emotional regulation and the trust that kids have in their institutions. And they can shape the entire course of a child’s life.”

Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.