This article from the World Economic Forum describes the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on children in immigration detention in the United States. It calls on the US government to take the following six immediate actions to stop the violence against migrant children and families and to protect them from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
1. The current administration must immediately release all migrants, including children and families, detained in US custody to safe and sanitary housing.
2. Children and family members who are released must be provided with the necessary resources to adequately practice public health measures, in order to protect themselves and others from the spread of COVID-19.
3. Children and families who are released must receive federal aid to sustain themselves during the economic downfall that is impacting millions of families across the country.
4. Every person, regardless of their immigration status and health insurance, must receive immediate necessary medical attention following their release from custody.
5. For the migrant children who continue to face the impact of family separation in the middle of this pandemic, immediate reunification is necessary in a manner consistent with CDC guidelines that minimizes risks to the child.
6. The administration cannot continue to cite this global crisis as a reason for deporting children and their families. Deportation, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, must be halted immediately; it directly contravenes federal law and puts the lives of thousands of migrant children at risk.