Official Statement From Mormon Women for Ethical Government on the Victimization of Children in Our Broken Immigration System

June 6, 2019

Last week, the Acting Inspector General released a report recommending that the Department of Homeland Security take immediate action to address the dangerous and inhumane treatment of detainees, including family units and unaccompanied minors, at a border patrol processing center in El Paso, Texas. On Monday, we learned that 37 migrant children between the ages of five and twelve were kept in vans in the sweltering Texas heat last July for between 23-39 hours, depending on the child, while waiting to be processed for reunification with their parents. This happened after public outrage forced the administration to backpedal on its inhumane zero-tolerance policy that led to thousands of children being taken away from their families. And yesterday, news broke that the Trump administration is cutting basic services—including legal aid—for unaccompanied minors who are being held in migrant shelters across the nation.

These revelations, added to what we already know about cages, family separations, militaristic tent cities, and other atrocities, are an affront to basic human decency. At least seven children have died while in custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection since September of last year. In the decade preceding this, zero children died in custody.

This is indefensible. These are children we’re talking about. All children must be cherished and protected. To deny unaccompanied minors legal help is not just wrong, it is morally reprehensible.

We call upon all citizens to stand with us in defense of children and families. A crisis of this magnitude demands a proportionate response—a groundswell of indignation and determination. And we call upon our elected representatives in Congress to honor the sacred trust we have placed in them and to set aside petty partisan politics and come together to pass the kind of comprehensive immigration reform that will ensure these kinds of inexcusable atrocities never happen again.

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Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG) is a nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to the ideals of decency, honor, accountability, transparency, and justice in governing. MWEG is not affiliated with or endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We do, however, fully sustain the leaders and doctrines of the Church.