1. United States
2. Ore.
3. Letter

I am writing as a constituent to urge you to move away from family immigration detention and invest in humane alternatives such as case management, community supervision, and monitoring. The current system is harming families and traumatizing children — and this is well documented. Research shows immigration detention is linked to depression, PTSD, developmental disruption, and long-term psychological harm in children: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11914743/ Public-health experts have documented mental and physical harm tied to prolonged detention and inadequate medical care: https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/migrant-children-in-u-s-detention-face-physical-mental-harms-report/ Even the threat of parental detention causes chronic stress, anxiety, and behavioral changes in children: https://childrenatrisk.org/press-conference-ongoing-federal-actions-put-child-well-being-at-risk/ Watchdog reporting describes children in family detention facing sleep deprivation, poor medical care, and lack of basic necessities like clean water and hygiene: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/28/ice-detention-texas-children Medical experts warn detention environments undermine parents’ mental health and strain the parent-child bond, compounding trauma: https://immigrantchild.ucsf.edu/news/detention-policies-hurt-kids The research consensus is clear: detention itself harms children: https://fxb.harvard.edu/blog/2024/01/11/press-release-new-report-documents-the-mental-and-physical-harm-experienced-by-children-in-immigration-detention/ At the same time, alternatives to detention have demonstrated strong compliance with court requirements while avoiding these harms: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/detention-families-facing-deportation-proceedings We are choosing a system that traumatizes children when safer, more effective options exist. This approach also damages U.S. credibility on human rights and fuels resentment abroad. And it exposes a troubling inequity: people accused of grave crimes often remain free while families — sometimes including legal residents and U.S. citizens — are detained in harmful conditions. These are human beings. Children. Families seeking safety and stability. They should be treated humanely. I urge you to: - End the use of family detention wherever possible - Expand and fund alternatives to detention - Strengthen oversight and enforce child-welfare and medical standards - Prioritize policies that keep families together in safe, non-custodial settings History will judge how we treat the most vulnerable people in our care. Please act.