People can, and do, have different thoughts about our immigration policy and our country's need for border security. But I think we'd all agree that it's never acceptable to put children's health or wellbeing at risk.
That's exactly why I visited our southern border in Texas this last weekend.
Recent information and various news reports had raised serious concerns about the medical attention and treatment of the children. As the only pediatrician in Congress and a Spanish-speaking congresswoman, I wanted to check on their well-being myself.
There's no question we are facing a humanitarian crisis -- and what I witnessed only strengthened my resolve to do whatever I can to help ensure those kids have access to safe, nurturing, and healthy environments and remain with their families.
These families have been through the most difficult of journeys north, mostly from Central America, and then are greeted in the U.S. with crowded processing centers and standing-room-only holding cells. They are sleeping on cold concrete, lacking adequate hygiene, and are at risk for all sorts of infectious diseases because of these over-crowded settings and already weakened bodies.
The children I saw were with parents, but there is work to be done to make sure that children who travel with aunts, uncles, or siblings are all kept together as well. And, of course, we should get those children and families off to their U.S. sponsors as quickly as possible, while ensuring their care and safety.
There are no easy answers here, but there are steps we can take right away to make this journey safer and to treat these migrants with dignity, respect, and compassion. Their love for their children is no different than our love for ours, and they have taken extreme risks to protect those children from dangerous circumstances at home. Now those children are in our care, and it is our responsibility to ensure their safety and wellbeing.
While I am fighting in D.C. to keep families together, I want to make sure every child in these facilities gets access to appropriate medical care, hygiene, and proper nutrition.
Thank you,
Dr. Kim Schrier
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