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Statement

MomsRising Demands the Immediate Release of Rosa Maria Hernandez

October 27, 2017
Immigration

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Says Detention of 10-Year-Old Special Needs Child, Immediately After Emergency Surgery is Both Cruel and Unnecessary
TEXAS --Yesterday, US Customs and Border Protection detained an undocumented 10-year-old girl, Rosa Maria Hernandez, who has cerebral palsy immediately after she was discharged from a Texas hospital after undergoing emergency gallbladder surgery. 
 
MomsRising, a national organization of more than one million mothers and their families, demanded the immediate release of Hernandez, questioning the decision of authorities to place a special needs child recovering from emergency surgery into a detention center for undocumented children.
 
Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, CEO and executive director of MomsRising, explained:
 
“Children with disabilities are among society’s most vulnerable members and often have challenging health care and social support needs. MomsRising stands with the Hernandez’s family and their daughter’s doctors, who recommended that she be immediately released into the care of her family members who can care for her and help her recover from what has no doubt been a terrible, traumatic experience.
 
“This tragic situation draws attention to our nation’s truly flawed immigration policies that separate families, arrest people in sensitive locations like hospitals, schools and courtrooms, and lock children in detention centers, isolated from family members and loved ones. These policies are cruel, unnecessary - and we should be better than this.
 
“MomsRising’s more than 1 million members across the country, demand the immediate release of Rosa Maria Hernandez.”
 

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.