Children pack South Texas foster care systems after immigration enforcement claims parents
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(Applied Research Center)
The institute that found at least 5,100 children are living in foster care in the U.S. as a result of the detention or deportation of their illegal immigrant parents, and almost one in four people deported in the last year were parents of a U.S.-born child.
According to its research, 7.5 percent of children in foster care in El Paso are there because their parents were either deported or detained. In the eastern Rio Grande Valley, they account for 7.8 percent of children in foster care.
For immigrant advocates like Austin-based Bob Libal, Texas senior organizer at the Grassroots Leadership, the study confirms the need to address immigration policy. His organization works to end for-profit incarceration and reduce dependence on criminalization and detention.
“I think [the study] confirms that detention and deportation system has dramatic consequences on children of those who are detained and deported and on the social service system,” Libal said. “I think we already knew that the deportation system drains a lot of resources, but now we also know that there are all these additional costs….[and] our immigration system doesn’t prioritize family unification.”
In Texas, ARC conducted interviews and surveys with child welfare caseworkers and attorneys, as well as with parents detained at two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers in the state. But the problem doesn’t just exist along the border, according to the report.
ARC identified at least 22 states where families are more likely to be separated due to local law enforcement agencies “aggressively” involved in immigration enforcement, such as participating in the Secure Communities program, a controversial program that allows ICE access to data on every person booked into a county jail.
In counties surveyed where local police signed 287(g) agreements with ICE — letting local or state law enforcement officers act as immigration officers — children in foster care were 29 percent more likely to have a detained or deported parent than in other counties.
“The more intense the immigration enforcement in an area, the more families are likely to be separated,” ARC senior research associate Seth Wessler, told the Texas Independent.
In a Colorlines story written by Wessler, he details a number of immigrants who lost contact with their children during the detention and deportation process. In some cases, children were picked up by child welfare departments as immigrant parents were being detained by ICE, and parents were not allowed to contact their children.
ARC determined that most child welfare departments lack the policies to keep families united when parents are detained or deported, that ICE detention does not allow for Child Protective Services plans and that immigrant victims of domestic violence are at a higher risk of losing their children.
Wessler says one of the biggest factors in family separation is the detention process. ARC found that detainees are transferred an average of 370 miles from their homes, making communication with their children almost impossible.
“The isolation of detention is the issue,” he said. “And then suddenly people are deported without notice.”
On top of that, he said, ICE has historically refused to make accommodations for parents who need to make arrangements with child welfare departments and decisions concerning their children.
Despite criticism that faced his last attempt to introduce an Arizona-style immigration law in Texas, state Rep. Leo Berman (R-Tyler), a longtime hard-liner on immigration, said he plans on reintroducing legislation similar to Arizona’s that would increase enforcement on immigration policy.
“I filed a similar bill and I will file it again,” Berman said.
But Berman did say it’s important to keep families together.
Under his bill, he said, “children will not be separated from their mother and father, whether they’re U.S. citizens or illegal aliens.”
When asked, Berman said he would consider adding a provision to the bill to ensure that family separation does not happen.
“Children should never be separated from their parents,” he said. “If their children are U.S. citizens, [parents] should not be sent back… You’re hearing this from a guy that’s hardcore when it comes to immigration. But this is an issue no one’s asked me about before. [Family separation] is something I would never want to happen.”
Libal believes the study should serve as a starting point for thinking about legislation.
“People who are immigration hawks are quick to disparage immigrants and spend a lot of money on this,” Libal said, “but this report shows that there are consequences for U.S. citizens. I would hope that people would think about this and that this makes them think twice about spending $1.7 billion dollars on the detention system that’s tearing families apart.”
Still, it’s clear the federal government has not prioritized families in immigration policies. ARC found that between January and June of 2011, more than 46,000 parents of U.S. citizens were deported. At this rate, the report estimates that about 15,000 children of those detained or deported in the next five years could be placed in foster care.
Wessler said ARC is beginning to push its research to advocacy groups and lawmakers, who might be able to create a change in the system.
Its the fault of the illegal parents themselves if they get detained and/or deported and are separated from their kids. They are the ones who continurally break laws and put their own children in harms way or put them at risk of being put in foster care. If the illegals were “good” parents, they would put their childrens welfare first, instead of working so hard and breaking so many laws to stay illegal. Sorry for the kids, but these parents are patethic!
To the commentor named “Illegals Suck” and others who think the parents are to blame here: “Illegal” parents are most likely in the United States to begin with because they are desperately trying to provide a better life for their children rather than condemn them to poverty and drug violence in Mexico, for example. They must weigh very serious risks of arrest against securing a better future for their children – a choice you would find just as difficult as a parent if you were in the same situation. They are not “bad” parents as you suggest and you would probably choose the survival of your family as well if you were in the same situation.
And regardless of whether it is “right” or “wrong” that they entered the US illegally, immigration systems should not blindly deport parents with no regard to their children just so we can say “it’s the parents’ fault.” It is no justification to destroy families and lives – including American citizen lives. Ruining people’s childhood by separating them from their parents is one surefire way to destroy moral code and create other societal problems such as crime and drug use.
Most Americans can trace themselves back to an immigrant. Have we all forgotten that? Our ancestors made the same difficult choice that immigrants make today – to leave everything they know and try to hack it in a new place so they can provide a better future for their family. It just happens that today the avenues for legal immigration have narrowed as well as public sentiment, given the economic downturn.
Americans, don’t forget your origins and don’t allow families to continue to be destroyed by our disfunctional immigration system.
To Elizabeth Conley – ending the right to citizenship by birth in the US is one of the best ways to create statelessness on our territory – something we have so far avoided. Undocumented persons who give birth outside their home country create the very real risk that their children will not be able to prove/access citizenship in the country of their parents. Few developing countries have civil registry systems like ours. If children born to immigrants in the US cannot be American citizens, they may be unable to access any nationality. Stateless persons are not deportable and then we will sit with another problem entirely, rather than letting everyone born on our territory have the opportunity to work hard and contribute to our country as full citizens. We would be condemning people to poverty rather than letting them excel and benefitting as a country from their determination and willpower.
Jessica I really must say….great job !! You state your arguments with with though, clarity, and truthfulness. Very eloquent in your presentaion of the facts. Needless to say I am impressed. :)
If you are to state that families should not be split up by immigration law, then you should consider the same criteria for all crimes.
Michael that is the most absurd thing I have ever heard!! An Illegal residentual status is nothing like the crimes that American people lose their children over. Seriosly? You can’t possibly be that stupid. It’s the same reason we don’t hand out Capitol punishment for ,say, stealing a car. Different crimes warrent different penalties. Frankly Mike this is one of the DUMBEST things I have ever heard.
Being an illegal immigrant isn’t even a crime. It’s a civil infraction. I know people who hate illegal immigrants want to think they’re these big bad criminals in the same category as rapists and burglars, but the rest of the world thinks you’re laughably delusional.
It is the fault of the Illegal parents who put their children at risk due to their unlawful behavior. Those illegal parents should be responsible for getting their children to relatives in their own country. The illegals intentionally have their babies here in the U.S., which is a ruse to gain legal status for themselves in this country. American taxpayers should not be forced to bear the expense of these children whose parents are gaming the system. These illegals are trying to piggyback on a law that was passed meant to protect newly freed slaves who were in this country legally since they were brought here by force. Those ex-slaves had broken no laws.
If you were in their shoes you would undoubtedly do the EXACT same thing. You should not be so naive as to believe your birth on this side of the border makes you in anyway superior or more deserving than they are. And what of the parents who were here working legally and paying taxes untill their VISA expired? If they could pay taxes and birth a child on this soil we then have a moral obligation to allow the child ,who IS an american citizen, to be with his/her birth parents and we don,t kick out americans who have broke no laws. I have worked with plenty of “illegals” and wouldn’t trade a single one them for your sorry ass dude!! You sir are not only an ignorant racist but are definitely the pathetic one in this conversation.
What kind of parent chooses to leave his/her kids behind? no one is preventing them (illegal aliens) from taking their families with them, apply at the American embassy in their country and go thru the process, like every other immigrant that enter the nation LEGALLY.
Pedo…I’m wondering did you read the article, or did you skip over the part where it said the system is making it difficult to keep in contact with the kids. In some cases, children were picked up by child welfare departments as immigrant parents were being detained by ICE, and parents were not allowed to contact their children. WELL HERE IT IS FOR YOU TO READ!
Wessler says one of the biggest factors in family separation is the detention process. ARC found that detainees are transferred an average of 370 miles from their homes, making communication with their children almost impossible.
What do you think the kids should be dragged off to the jails and detention centers too??????
Send their KIDS with them!
This is proof that the anchor-baby program isn’t just Unconstitutional. It’s also inhumane. Obviously the children of illegal immigrants share the citizenship of their parents. These children should be sent home with their parents.
It if cruel and inhumane to steal the children of illegal immigrants and misappropriate our tax dollars to raise these children in Foster care, where they’re far more likely to be abused, neglected and even murdered than they would be with their own parents.
Stop the anchor baby program. It’s wrong on every level. It benefits no one, least of all the children.
The anchor baby thing hu? well aren’t all of you who are not Native american or Mexican (in the southwest) anchor babies????? You invaded our land, stole, killed, raped, lied, and imprisoned us. Who are the real criminals. Just because it happened a couple hundred years ago, doesn’t make it ok. Might does NOT make RIGHT. Look in the mirror anchor baby!
That is a beautifully staded point there Cel Elizabeth and Pedo are really showing just how racist they are and how ignorant they are I thank God for people like you Cel who can see the truth instead cowering blinded by fear and ignorance!
@ steve…do you really think any reasonable person would buy your stupid story? YOUR WHITE pretending to be an immigrant….PLEASE don’t make yourself look STUPID by think we are!!!!! It is these kind of lies and manipulation by some people that lead others to believe the BS is true. ” When someone can convince you of absurdities, You are willing to commit atrocities.”
To the guy that posted “Illegals Suck” If you were in their shoes you would undoubtedly do the EXACT same thing. You should not be so naive as to believe your birth on this side of the border makes you in anyway superior or more deserving than they are. And what of the parents who were here working legally and paying taxes untill their VISA expired? If they could pay taxes and birth a child on this soil we then have a moral obligation to allow the child ,who IS an american citizen, to be with his/her birth parents and we don,t kick out americans who have broke no laws. I have worked with plenty of “illegals” and wouldn’t trade a single one them for your sorry ass dude!! You sir are not only an ignorant racist but are definitely the pathetic one in this conversation.
