SNAP Calls for the Protection of Migrant Children

The abuse of children is not a political topic. People from every party or political leaning can agree that children should be safe, protected, and allowed to live their lives free of abuse and the negative, lifelong effects that can come with it. This is an American value, not a Democratic or Republican one.

Yet the situation that many children now find themselves in at our southern border is not in keeping with our American values. Many media articles have exposed how migrant children have suffered degradation, deprivation, and abuse while living in camps set up by our government at the U.S. border. The conditions these children live in, including being separated from their parents, removes needed protections and creates situations where children can be abused.

When separated from their parents, these children are very vulnerable. The separation of children is a punitive action that only harms the child and removes the fundamental support and compassionate care that children need in order to thrive. And with the absence of parental care and the lack of qualified childcare, these children are vulnerable to sexual abuse.

We take no position on the politics of the day or the issue of immigration specifically. But we must stand up against any situation that could force children to experience sexual abuse and the lifelong pain that comes with it. And so we call for an end to the imprisonment of migrant children and the separation of these children from their parents. Those predators who sexually abuse children must be prosecuted and held accountable, regardless of whether they are American citizens, immigrants, or anything in between. We also call for humane living conditions, parental care, and supervised childcare until children can be reunited with their families. 

The science is clear: trauma has a lifelong impact on a child’s developing brain. We must do what we can to mitigate this trauma while these children are within our borders, no matter how they got here. We must take these huddled masses of children and allow them to breathe free. It is the American way.

CONTACT: Tim Lennon, SNAP President (415-313-5820, [email protected]), Zach Hiner, Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)