What Does the Future Hold For Immigrant Children Housed in Homestead?
June 21st, 2018 by Jake Stofan
Video provided by the Department of Health and Human Services shows the first glimpse into the conditions at the 1,200 bed Homestead facility housing immigrant children.
At least 94 children housed there were separated from their families while crossing the boarder.
“They’re already fleeing some form of persecution and trauma and this certainly was another layer that the U.S. Government inflicted upon them,” said Human Rights Attorney and Immigration Expert Mark Schlakman.
While President Donald Trump ordered an end to the practice of separating families, the future for the 2,300 already separated remains uncertain.
“Will those 2,000 families be reconnected to their loved ones? Do we know where their loved ones are? This is a total absence of moral leadership in my opinion,” said Gubernatorial Candidate and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum.
“It would be reasonable to presume that there would be some effort to reunite these young children with their families,” said Shlakman.
Three Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates confirmed on Twitter that they plan to march together outside the facility this weekend.
Gillum also plans to attend.
“For me personally it was hard to shake the images of these kids being torn away from their family members,” said Gillum. “It’s not who we are as a country.”
The future is also uncertain for more than 1,000 teenagers also being housed at the Homestead facility, many of whom crossed the boarder unaccompanied seeking asylum.
While Gubernatorial candidates march outside, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson will be inside the facility speaking with the children housed there as well as staff.
It’s believed there are an additional 174 separated children housed throughout Florida, aside from those in the Homestead facility.
Posted in State News | 
No Comments »