Almost 40 child welfare and medical groups in Texas sent Thursday expressing concern about the treatment of child migrants on the state鈥檚 southern border. They say poor living conditions are causing trauma among these children, which could have lasting effects.
The groups 鈥� which include Texans Care for Children, the Texas Medical Association, the Texas Pediatric Society and the Texas Academy of Family Physicians 鈥� say they have 鈥渄eep concern鈥� over reports of child endangerment at Texas facilities along the border.
鈥淲e urge you to support additional measures to ensure that all children and parents who are in the care of the federal government,鈥� they wrote, 鈥渘o matter their country of origin, receive compassionate, humane, and fair treatment."
TexProtects, an advocacy group working to prevent child abuse in the state, also signed onto the letter. Spokesperson Lee Nichols said the group doesn鈥檛 usually weigh in on immigration matters, but what's happening in these detention facilities has become a child welfare issue.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 know what the solution is to our immigration situation along our southern border,鈥� Nichols said, 鈥渂ut what we do know is that willfully inflicting trauma upon children must not be one of those solutions.鈥�
In the past several weeks, there have been reports of children dying in federal detention, as well as reports of children and families being inappropriately separated and denied proper access to food, clean water, clean clothing, bathing facilities, bedding and shelter.
The groups say they are concerned this poor treatment will create long-term physical and emotional impairments for families 鈥� and particularly small children.
鈥淓arly childhood trauma undermines a child鈥檚 healthy brain development and ability to form healthy attachments,鈥� the letter states, 鈥渞esulting in lifelong, negative consequences, such as chronic physical and/or mental illness and less likelihood of succeeding in school or becoming productive workers.鈥�
The letter was sent to Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the entire Texas delegation in Congress, the state鈥檚 U.S. senators and every member of the Texas Legislature.
Nichols said lawmakers would 鈥渢ake this seriously鈥� because providing humane treatment to children 鈥渋s the right thing to do.鈥� But he also said lawmakers need to step in because childhood trauma 鈥渋nflicts huge financial costs that can affect our society down the road.鈥�
He said the costs of mental health treatment, the costs of the criminal justice system and the strains on the education system are 鈥渆xacerbated鈥� by child mistreatment.
鈥淲hat is happening at the border is definitely inflicting trauma upon these children, which could have a lifelong consequence for them,鈥� Nichols said.
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