Jayapal Hosts Hearing on Trump’s Attacks on Immigrant Children and Families

Full video of the hearing can be found HERE.

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, today hosted a hearing titled Kidnapped and Disappeared: Trump's Attack on Our Children.

"Today, I hosted the seventh hearing in my series Kidnapped and Disappeared, focusing on the immense trauma that Trump and his Department of Homeland Security have caused to our children. In the first seven months of Donald Trump's term, more than 11,000 US citizen children have had a parent detained. That means that every single day, 50 US citizen children, on average, have had a parent detained," said Jayapal. "Having a parent kidnapped and disappeared is bad enough. But too often, ICE is using violence to arrest parents right in front of their children or even as "bait" as we saw with the horrific case of 5-year old Liam Ramos - the young child with the bunny ears hat that galvanized attention across the country. I thank our incredible witnesses for being here today to shine a light on the pain that Trump is causing."

"Over the past 20 years, I have watched children in immigration custody go from being a largely invisible population with few legal protections to a highly politicized population of children whose rights are being systematically dismantled. This is part of a calculated effort, outlined in Project 2025, to reverse decades of hard-fought protections for some of the most vulnerable children in this country," said Neha Desai, Managing Director of Children's Human Rights & Dignity, National Center for Youth Law.

"Unaccompanied children shouldn't be used as bait, they shouldn't be used as political pawns, and they're not 'invaders' as Stephen Miller would have us believe. They're children, and they deserve to be treated like children and afforded protection and safety, not detention and deportation," said Marion ("Mickey") Donovan-Kaloust, Director of Legal Services, Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef).

"When children miss out on healthcare, it can turn routine pediatric issues into emergencies. Detaining caregivers and separating them from their children causes stress and removes a child's primary source of safety and comfort. The experience of separation or the threat of separation creates fear, anxiety, and stress. No amount of time spent in ICE detention is safe for a child," said Dr. Tania Caballero, Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at John's Hopkins Medicine.

"Our students and their families are deliberately terrorizing and traumatizing our neighbors and their children. It's a massive letdown that there are no checks and balances to stop a hateful administration trying to erase minority races. These stories aren't being covered in the news. The stories are deeply painful and personal and most of the country doesn't know the extent and consistency of the damage. I feel heartache, absorbing all these traumatic stories, I cannot even comprehend the suffering those at higher risk must feel. I am grateful I was able to share just some of those stories today, and more people and leaders will hear these life changing issues," said Nicole Isern, Educator.

"At 16, I never thought I would ever need to attend my local city council meeting, but I summoned the courage, with God's and my family's help, to share the pain we were feeling in our community and to fight for our rights. Today, I'm 17-years-old, and never would I have imagined being in the most powerful building in the country, to share the pain that our town is experiencing, and to plead for your help," said Manny, a 17-year-old US citizen and student activist.

This was the seventh shadow hearing in this series, each of which has focused on a different aspect of immigration oversight. The others have focused on Trump's assault on Minnesota, detention abuses, Trump's assault on Chicago, families that have been torn apart, unlawful third-country deportations, and efforts to undermine due process.

Jayapal was joined by Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Jesús G. "Chuy" García (IL-04), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Christian Menefee (TX-18), Kelly Morrison (MN-03), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Andrea Salinas (OR-06).

Issues: Immigration