Skip to content

Making a Difference: Catholics protest U.S. practice of caging immigrant children

Free World Class Education
FREE Catholic Classes

Many of us are not fond of seeing animals in cages. But when desperate human beings -- especially children -- who have trekked the grueling, dangerous journey mainly from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras fleeing gang drug violence, forced gang recruitment, extortion and crushing poverty finally arrive at the U.S. border pleading for safe asylum find themselves instead crammed into cages, it's time for people of faith to take a stand and demand an end to this heartless cruelty.

'And it even gets worse.'

'And it even gets worse.'

Highlights

By Tony Magliano
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
8/6/2019 (4 years ago)

Published in U.S.

Keywords: Immigration, Catholic, Protest, US Immigration

In a recent report by the U.S. Office of Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security, five Border Patrol facilities in the Texas Rio Grande Valley are in need of immediate attention to address "serious overcrowding and prolonged detention of unaccompanied alien children, families, and single adults" (see photos: https://bit.ly/2XGWY9X ).    

The report further cited that children at three of the five Border Patrol facilities had no access to showers, and no laundry facilities. And at two facilities children went days without having a hot meal.

In a separate investigation, a team of lawyers, doctors and advocates warned that children were being held in U.S. Customs and Border Protection facilities in the Rio Grande Valley and El Paso, Texas, "in deplorable conditions, without access to soap, clean water, showers, clean clothing, toilets, toothbrushes, adequate nutrition or adequate sleep. The children, including infants and expectant mothers, are dirty, cold, hungry and sleep-deprived" (see: https://cnn.it/2OfmrUm).      

And it even gets worse. 

Since September 2018, at least seven migrant children -- with the youngest being 1 year old -- have died in U.S. immigration custody, or soon thereafter. These children simply did not get the care they needed (see: https://nbcnews.to/2W18UhU).  

All of this cold-hearted lack of compassion should upset and move caring people into action -- especially the followers of the one who said, "Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these" (Luke 18:16).   

 On July 18 over 200 upset, caring Catholic sisters, priests, brothers and lay Catholic advocates, including myself, participated in the "Catholic Day of Action for Immigrant Children" on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. 

Together we prayed, sang and verbally challenged the U.S. government to stop the immoral and inhumane practice of detaining immigrant children (see: https://bit.ly/2LGk1fi).

Then we peacefully processed into the Russell Senate Office Building stopping under its rotunda, where as a form of nonviolent civil disobedience, five fellow protesters laid on the floor in the form of a cross while 65 others formed a circle around them praying, singing and chanting the names of the dead immigrant children. All 70 were arrested.

Some of the rest of us moved into a connecting hallway and continued praying, that is, until police told us that praying audibly together in the Senate building was forbidden and that we too would be arrested if we continued. Some of us then whispered the rosary (see: https://wapo.st/2Lxo9yk and https://bit.ly/2SCd3bZ).

We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.

Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.

Help Now >

Please call President Trump (202-456-1111) and your two U.S. senators and congressperson (202-224-3121) urging a quick end to the inhumane detention of immigrant children and the heartless separation of immigrant families (see: https://networklobby.org/stoptheinhumanity/). And urge them to finally get serious about passing fair and comprehensive immigration reform legislation. 

Pope Francis recently warned that when we allow fears and doubts to "condition our way of thinking and acting to the point of making us intolerant, closed and perhaps even -- racist" -- there is a serious problem."

Indeed, there is a serious problem!

-------------------------------------------------------------------


Tony Magliano is an internationally syndicated social justice and peace columnist. He is available to speak at diocesan or parish gatherings. Tony can be reached at tmag@zoominternet.net. 

---


'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'


Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online

Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.

Lent logo
Saint of the Day logo

Catholic Online Logo

Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.

Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.