1. United States
2. Mass.
3. Letter

Dear Members of Congress, I am writing to express my deep concern and opposition to the continued use and expansion of family detention centers such as the Dilley detention center. Detaining families and children, especially babies and very young children, in immigration detention facilities is inhumane and does not reflect the values our country claims to uphold. Babies should not be imprisoned. Children should not grow up, even temporarily, behind locked doors and fences because of immigration status. Regardless of political views on immigration policy, we should be able to agree that children deserve safety, stability, and care — not detention. Research and testimony from medical and child development experts have repeatedly shown that detention is harmful to children’s physical and mental health. Even short periods of confinement can cause trauma, developmental delays, anxiety, depression, and long-term emotional harm. These are consequences that can last far beyond their time in detention. We are making policy decisions that will shape the lives of these children forever. There are more humane and effective alternatives to detention, including community-based case management programs that ensure families attend immigration hearings while allowing them to live in communities rather than detention facilities. These programs are less expensive for taxpayers and far less harmful to families. This is not just a political issue. It is a moral one. How we treat the most vulnerable people, especially children, says everything about who we are as a country. I urge you to oppose the use of family detention centers and work toward humane immigration policies that protect children and families rather than imprison them.