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Statement

Resuming Family Detention Is Cruel, Unjustified

March 10, 2025
Immigration

Lisa Lederer, 202/371-1996

Statement of Linda Stone, Senior Director for Immigration at MomsRising/MamásConPoder, the online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on reports the Trump administration plans to reopen detention centers to hold immigrant families:

“We are horrified and saddened that the Trump administration is resuming the cruel, unjustified, deeply damaging practice of detaining immigrant children and families. There is a huge body of evidence showing that this causes deep, lasting trauma to children while doing nothing to make our communities safer.

“Family detention centers have an abysmal record of failing to provide physical and mental health care and adequate food and nutrition, while utilizing abusive tactics including threats to separate families if terrified children are not compliant. The Trump mass deportation agenda is being enacted without mercy and it threatens to take a terrible toll.

“Moms recognize immigrants as our neighbors, coworkers and friends who strengthen our communities and are an essential part of our care workforce. We want every asylum-seeker and every immigrant family to be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect. As caring people, we know that every child, regardless of where they were born, deserves to live in peace and security. The callous, unjust practice of detaining immigrant families must end.”

NOTE: MomsRising/MamásConPoder has spokespeople available to discuss family detention in English or Spanish.

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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, stop discrimination against women and moms, and 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: www.MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.