To the Editor:

Re “Migrant Children Pay Price as Trump Seeks to Extend Detention” (news article, Dec. 9):

The evidence is clear: Family detention is a harmful and costly mechanism to punish women and children whose only “crime” is fleeing persecution. That’s why, as an American, I was distraught to see that the administration is planning to expand this detrimental practice.

Luckily, there is a straightforward and sensible alternative. The Family Case Management Program, part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, offered community-based case management and ensured that asylum seekers complied with immigration requirements. The Trump administration abruptly and inexplicably terminated the program in 2017.

In its nearly two years of operation, the program demonstrated that it was just as effective as detention in ensuring that asylum seekers showed up to court and adhered to our immigration requirements.

The Family Case Management Program allowed the United States to ensure that asylum seekers are complying with our laws while treating them with the dignity and respect they deserve.