America is better than this immigration policy

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempesttossed to me; I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” This quote comes from Emma Lazarus’ sonnet, “New Colossus,” which she wrote for a fundraiser to raise money for the pedestal upon which the Statue of Liberty now sits. These are the words that have greeted millions of immigrants who, seeking a better life here, were processed through Ellis Island. These words have also become an integral part of the golden thread of opportunity that is woven into the fabric of who we are as a nation and as a people.

We are mostly a nation of immigrants, of ideals, dreams and aspirations that form the core fabric of the United States of America. Yet, we are in a time in which families and children are forcibly separated or potentially incarcerated for prolonged periods as a matter of policy by the Trump administration.

So far more than 2,000 children have been separated from their parents and another 3,000 families/children are jailed. Most of these parents and children are fleeing extreme poverty, violence and other horrific conditions in which to live and try to raise a child. Any parent in such a circumstance would likely do similar and, indeed, move heaven and earth to ensure that their child grew up in safety and with opportunity. The tradition(s) of Christianity — and indeed all the major religions of the world — welcome the needy, the poor and the persecuted.

The New Mexico Pediatric Society is appalled that any child would be forcibly separated from their parents as a matter of official government policy. Similarly, the recent executive order to potentially bypass the “Flores Settlement” is not in the best interest of children. By either separating children from their parents or potentially incarcerating them for extended periods of time, we are causing irreparable damage and severe harm to them. These actions are what we in the profession call adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The toxic stress of ACEs place children at increased risk of poorer lifelong health. As the current president of (the) American Academy of Pediatrics, Colleen Kraft, MD, FAAP, stated, “America is better than this.”

The United States of America should be a leader in protecting all children and supporting all families, including immigrants and those seeking asylum. We demand that they be allowed to stay together in a safe environment. Our elected officials here in New Mexico and those in public and private institutions that work with and serve these populations must rise to the occasion and offer the necessary moral leadership.

Collectively we need to provide safe harbor to meet their needs compassionately so that families and children may thrive, and so that we can aspire to those values that represent the United States of America in its finest traditions.