Children don't belong in cages

Children don't belong in cages

Started
June 20, 2018
Signatures: 1,587,003Next Goal: 3,000,000
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Why this petition matters

Started by Kids In Need of Defense

The Trump administration is trying to indefinitely imprison immigrant families and children in cages. If he is successful, we’re going to see babies celebrating birthday after birthday from behind a chain link fence – all because their families tried to escape unspeakable violence in their home countries.

Join our campaign to end long-term, indefinite detention of immigrant children.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration enacted a “zero tolerance” policy, prosecuting and detaining immigrant adults for the “crime” of crossing the U.S. border. Because of a 1997 settlement called Flores, children are not allowed to be detained in prison-like environments such as adult detention facilities for more than 20 days. But now Trump’s new Executive Order would allow for immigrant children to be held in detention indefinitely.

The separation of families fleeing violence is cruel and inhumane – but keeping babies in cages indefinitely is much worse.

Immigrant detention centers are unsafe for any human being. In the past few years several allegations have surfaced of abuse and sexual assault against detention center guards and we know that people in detention are denied access to basic healthcare services. Already adults are held in these facilities for months on end; it is unimaginable that children would find themselves growing up in these prison-like facilities.

If we want to keep families together we should stop prosecuting their parents for making the same decision we would all make: fleeing to the U.S. border to keep our children safe from violence at home.

Children don’t belong in cages. Sign our petition to keep them out of long-term detention.

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Signatures: 1,587,003Next Goal: 3,000,000
Support now
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