What privileges do convicted prisoners have when incarcerated?
- They can watch movies and television.
- They can read books and go to a prison library.
- They can consult their legal counsel.
- They can exercise and play indoor and outdoor sports.
- Some have access to radios, computers, and Internet access.
Migrant Children who have been cruelly separated from their parents and housed in detention centers (including one in Oklahoma that partially served as a World War Two Japanese Internship Camp,) do not have the same privileges as our most vile criminals serving their prison sentences.
Recently, the Administration headed by the person who lost the 2016 Popular Vote announced that migrant children, because of a pending budget shortage, will lose the ability to:
- Play sports like soccer.
- Receive educational services.
- Access legal counsel and obtain their guidance.
Upon hearing this announcement, Texas Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro commented, “How much does it cost to have a soccer ball out there?”
Some of Arizona’s current Representatives and those running to serve in the House of Representatives have also offered their views on what is happening with migrant children.
Arizona Congressional District Three Representative Raul Grijalva
“HHS is charged with taking care of the physical and emotional well-being of asylum-seeking children in their custody, and these cuts accomplish only the opposite. By eliminating English classes and legal aid that are critical to ensuring children successfully navigate the asylum process, the Trump Administration is essentially condemning children to prison and throwing away the key until their imminent deportation.”
Arizona Congressional District Five Candidate Joan Greene
“I join the majority of Americans, on both sides of the aisle who strongly oppose the treatment of the migrant children at the border. We need leaders who are not afraid to lead with compassion as they work on common sense solutions.”
Arizona Congressional District Six Candidate Anita Malik
“The current treatment of children and families at our borders is unconscionable. You can have strong borders, but also be compassionate. What’s happening is Un-American. These children are not prisoners. We must recognize human rights in all situations, and we must aggressively look at why we are losing children, why have deaths increased so dramatically under this administration. This is our responsibility.”
Arizona Congressional District Six Candidate Stephanie Rimmer
“We can not call ourselves humane if children die in our care without parents at their side. That is cruel. By God’s design or mother nature or whatever anyone believes the relationship between a parent and child supersedes any law man can make and anyone that does not realize that has lost touch with humanity.”
Arizona Congressional District Six Candidate Dr. Hiral Tipirneni
“Separating families is wrong, and children deserve to be treated humanely and with compassion – regardless of their immigration status. I believe we can secure our border and keep our communities safe while still upholding Arizona values. As a first-generation immigrant whose family was welcomed into this country with open arms decades ago, I know we can do better by everyone involved in this system. I’ve volunteered my time to administer medical exams to those who are seeking asylum in our country because I believe it’s important they are treated with dignity and respect. This is yet another symptom of Congress’ unacceptable failure to come together to pass comprehensive immigration reform that can strengthen our country by providing an earned pathway to citizenship and secures our borders.”
Arizona Congressional District Eight Candidate Michael Muscato
” As fathers and mothers, we can all relate to working and fighting as hard as we can for our children. Our children are our everything. It’s time we had people in office who will fight for our children as much as us fathers and mothers do.”
Arizona Congressional District Eight Candidate Bob Musselwhite
“I believe that separating children from their parents is a fundamental violation of basic human rights. This country stands on higher principles than that and tarnishes our honor when we participate in such cruel and heartless activity.”
Strong words from the people who either currently or want to serve Arizona in the House of Representatives.
One of the measures of any civilized society is how the most vulnerable (the elderly the injured, the young) are cared for.
Migrant children, separated from their parents and housed in detention centers are, like all children, deserving of this nation’s attention and compassion.
They do not deserve to be treated worse than this nations prisoners and this treatment by the administration headed by the person endorsed in 2016 by the Ku Klux Klan will not make our borders any more secure.
These children deserve to be treated well and our people’s public servants need to ensure that this treatment occurs.