On Tuesday, January 23, more than 200 child welfare, juvenile justice, and child development organizations released a letter calling on the Administration to abandon plans to forcibly separate children from their mothers and fathers at the U.S. border. By all accounts, the Administration hopes to deter vulnerable families from around the world from seeking protection at the U.S. border—which is their right under U.S. and international law—by separating families, deporting parents, and placing their children in federal custody.

On Tuesday, January 16, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and she refused to rule out implementing this proposed policy. We know that this policy would have significant and long-lasting consequences for the safety, health, development, and well-being of children. Children need to be cared for by their parents to be safe and healthy, to grow and develop. Forced separation disrupts the parent-child relationship and puts children at increased risk for both physical and mental illness. The Administration's plan would eviscerate the principle of family unity and put children in harm’s way.

The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights is deeply grateful for this strong show of support from organizations that have spent decades fighting to make sure every child is safe, cared for, and loved. We encourage you to lend your voice to their effort, and join them in calling on the Administration to abandon its plans to take children from their parents.

Read the full letter here.

National Organizations

Alliance for Strong Families and Communities

American Academy of Pediatrics

Campaign for Youth Justice

Casa de Esperanza: National Latin@ Network for Healthy Families and Communities

Center for Children’s Law and Policy

Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)

Center for the Study of Social Policy

Child Welfare League of America

Children’s Advocacy Institute

Children’s Defense Fund

Coalition for Juvenile Justice

Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund

Dorothy Day Catholic Worker

Every Mother is a Working Mother Network

Family Focused Treatment Association

Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice & Research

First Focus

First Star Institute

Foster Care Alumni of America

Futures Without Violence

Generations United

Healthy Teen Network

Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative

Justice Policy Institute

Juvenile Law Center

National Alliance of Children's Trust Funds

National Association for Children’s Behavioral Health

National Association of Counsel for Children

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners

National Association of Social Workers

National Center for Housing and Child Welfare

National Center for Parent Leadership, Advocacy, and Community Empowerment

National Center for Youth Law

National Center on Adoption and Permanency

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

National Crittenton Foundation

National Domestic Violence Hotline

National Indian Child Welfare Association

National Juvenile Defender Center

National Juvenile Justice Network

North American Council on Adoptable Children

Partnership for America’s Children

RISE

Robert F Kennedy Children’s Action Corps

School Social Work Association of America

The Children’s Village

The Sentencing Project

UNICEF USA

Voices for Adoption

W. Haywood Burns Institute

Year Up

Youth Advocate Programs (YAP)

Youth Law Center

State and Local Organizations

A New Leaf (AZ)

ACTIONN (NV)

Advocates for Children and Youth (MD)

AIDS Foundation of Chicago (IL)

Alaska Children's Trust

All Faiths Children’s Advocacy Center (NM)

Allendale Association (IL)

Alliance for Childhood Education (KS, MO)

Arden Shore Child and Family Services (IL)

Bronx Defenders (NY)

Brooklyn Defender Services (NY)

California Department of Social Services

Catholic Charities Community Maternity Services (NY)

Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare at the University of Minnesota

Center for Children’s Advocacy, Inc. (CT)

Center for Family Representation (NY)

Center on Halsted (IL)

Chicago Children's Advocacy Center (IL)

Chicago Survivors

Child and Family Policy Center (IA)

Child and Family Resources (AZ)

Child and Family Services (NY)

Child Welfare Organizing Project (NY)

Children’s Action Alliance (AZ)

Children’s Advocacy Alliance (NV)

Children’s Defense Fund - Texas

Children’s Law Center of Minnesota

Children’s Place Association (IL)

Children's Law Center (DC)

Children's Service Society (UT)

CHRIS 180 (GA)

Citizens' Committee for Children of New York, Inc. (NY)

Citizens for Juvenile Justice (MA)

Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (NY)

Committee for Public Counsel Services (MA)

Community Behavioral Healthcare Association of Illinois (IL)

Community Chest, Inc (NV)

Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families, Inc

Connecticut Association for Human Services

Connecticut Voices for Children

Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies (NY)

County Welfare Directors Association of California (CA)

Duane Dean Behavioral Health Services (IL)

EPIC ‘Ohana

Esperanza Health Centers (IL)

EverThrive Illinois

Families and Friends of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children

Families First (GA)

Family to Family Connection, ISD 13 (NV)

Family Violence Appellate Project (CA)

Forefront (IL)

Forestdale, Inc. (NY)

Foster Adopt Connect (MO, KS)

Foster Care Alumni of America-Illinois Chapter

Foster Change (NV)

Foster Kinship (NV)

Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law (CA)

Heartland for Children (FL)

Heartland Human Care Services (IL, MI)

Hillsides (CA)

Hispanic Caucus (NV)

Identity, Inc. (MD)

Illinois Childhood Trauma Coalition

Illinois Collaboration on Youth

Illinois Partners for Human Service

Illinois PTA

Illinois Public Health Association

Illinois Public Health Institute

Instituto del Progreso Latino (IL)

Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity (CA)

JCCA (NY)

Juvenile Justice Initiative of Illinois

Juvenile Protective Association (IL)

Juvenile Restorative Justice, Inc. (KY)

Kaleidoscope (IL)

Kansas Action for Children

Kansas Appleseed

Kansas Association for the Education of Young Children

Kansas Head Start Association

Kids Forward (WI)

Kids in Common, a program of Planned Parenthood Mar Monte (CA)

Kingsley House (LA)

Legal Council for Health Justice (IL)

Legal Services for Children (CA)

Lower Roxbury Coalition (MA)

Loyola University Chicago Civitas Childlaw Center (IL)

Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest

Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin

Maine Children’s Alliance

Make it Work Nevada

Martin de Porres Group Homes (NY)

Mary’s Center (DC)

Maryville Academy (IL)

Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MA)

MercyFirst (NY)

Methodist Children's Home Society (MI)

Metropolitan Family Services (IL)

Michigan’s Children

Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (MD)

National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Connecticut Chapter

National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Illinois Chapter

National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Kentucky Chapter

National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Massachusetts Chapter

National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Michigan Chapter

National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Minnesota Chapter

National Association of Social Workers (NASW) New Jersey Chapter

National Association of Social Workers (NASW) New Mexico Chapter

National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Tennessee Chapter

National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Texas Chapter

NC Child

New Jersey Parents Caucus, Inc

New Mexico Voices for Children

New York City Administration for Children's Services

Northern River Family of Services (NY)

One Hope United (IL, FL, MO, WI)

OneJustice (CA)

Ounce of Prevention Fund (IL)

Prevent Child Abuse Arizona (AZ)

Pride Inc., Pride Manchester, Inc., Pride Wilton, Inc. (ND)

PromiseShip (NE)

Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families

Rhode Island KIDS COUNT

Rincon Family Services (IL)

San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program (CA)

Schuyler Center for Analysis & Advocacy (NY)

Southwest Key Programs (AZ, CA, FL, NY, TX, WI)

SPAN Parent Advocacy Network (NJ)

Starfish Family Homes (IL)

Sunny Hills Services (CA)

Texans Care for Children

The Adoption Exchange (CO, NV, UT)

The Children 's Home Society of New Jersey

The Children’s Partnership (CA)

The Foster and Adoption Coalition of Nevada

The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada

The Hills Preschool (NV)

The Law Foundation of Silicon Valley (CA)

The Villages of Indiana, Inc.

Three Rivers Adoption Council (PA)

Thresholds (IL)

Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (IL)

United Community Services of Johnson County (KS)

Voice for Children in Nebraska

Voices for Children of San Antonio (TX)

Voices for Georgia's Children

Voices for Illinois Children

VOICES Youth Centers (CA)

Wayfinder Family Services (CA)

Whittier Street Health Center (MA)

Wisconsin Association of Family & Children's Agencies (WI)

Youth Employment Coalition (IL)

Youth Justice Coalition (CA)

Youth Service, Inc. (PA)

Youth, Rights and Justice (OR)