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Dear Friend,
Did you know that immigrant children, alone in federal detention centers, are only assured two 10-minute phone calls per week with family? Even young children who have just been abruptly separated from family at the border. For many children, particularly those who have been detained for months, this wears down their mental and emotional health. They do not get the support they need from trusted loved ones and feel increasingly and unnecessarily alone. “We would cry because they only allowed us to talk [on the phone] to our family for ten minutes,” said Carlita, a 15 year-old in a detention facility in Texas.
TODAY THAT CHANGES. A new policy requiring daily
phone calls goes into effect NOW, MONDAY, JUNE 26, 2023. It is a result of years
of advocacy led by organizations that work with unaccompanied children, including the Young Center. Our Child Advocates have advocated for years for children in government custody to have increased phone contact with loved ones. Our Policy team then worked closely with our Child Advocates and allied with pediatric health experts, to ensure our call for policy change was heard at all levels, from detention centers across the country to Capitol Hill. This advocacy has required relentless and steady commitment, week after week, month after month, over years.
It also required the support of our Champions for Children – our sustaining donors who commit to an auto-recurring donation, giving us the ongoing support needed to effect policy CHANGE. From our champions who commit to giving $5 a week, $50 a month, to $1,000 per year. We know we can count on you.
Will you become a Champion for Children today and ensure that our fearless fight for more just policies to protect immigrant children will continue?
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