1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

By receiving this letter, you can no longer claim ignorance. The conditions children are enduring in ICE custody are not only inhumane—they are a moral stain on our nation. As your constituent, I demand that you confront this crisis with urgency and compassion. Recent reports from facilities in Phoenix, Dilley (Texas), and across the country reveal a disturbing escalation in the detention and mistreatment of migrant children. These children—many of whom arrived with parents seeking asylum—are now facing conditions that no child should ever endure. Here are just a few of the most egregious violations being reported: • Infants separated from breastfeeding mothers, as in the case of Paola Clouatre, detained in Louisiana just weeks after giving birth • Children arrested outside courthouses, including in Phoenix, where ICE agents detained a mother and her children after a legal hearing • Overcrowded and unsanitary holding cells, with children sleeping on floors and denied basic hygiene • No access to legal counsel, following the federal government’s termination of legal services funding for separated families • Psychological trauma from sudden family separation, often without explanation or due process • Targeting of children without criminal records, under expanded expedited removal policies that sidestep court hearings These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a systemic failure that prioritizes enforcement over humanity. I urge you to take immediate action: • Demand oversight and transparency of ICE operations in Arizona • Support legislation that protects children from detention and ensures access to legal representation • Publicly condemn the targeting of families and children who are complying with legal processes • Push for alternatives to detention, especially for minors and vulnerable families You now know what is happening. Silence is complicity. I ask you to stand on the right side of history and act to protect these children.