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Yesterday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided worksites in Mississippi, arresting nearly 700 people. Many of them had babies or toddlers stranded at child care or children who came home from school to empty houses, according to reports. Educators and volunteers in their communities were forced to devise emergency plans to shelter children with nowhere to go.
Making matters worse, ICE seemingly did not adhere to its own guidelines about mitigating the impact on children by notifying social service agencies in advance.
CLASP is outraged by the Trump Administration’s continued heartless attacks against immigrant families. It’s especially galling with the country in mourning after a weekend of violence. For hundreds of children in Mississippi, their worst fears were realized: coming home to an empty house and wondering if they’ll ever see their moms or dads again. It’s even more unconscionable that it happened on their first day of school.
Large-scale raids undermine children’s health and wellbeing as well as their long-term development. Raids leave schools, child care centers, and other providers scrambling to deal with the aftermath of these man-made disasters, and the fear created extends far beyond the individuals and families impacted.
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