The Trump administration has revived this enormously problematic practice of family detention. This ruling has re-opened the wounds of immigrant families coming to find a safe haven in the United States. Jade, Jason, and Gabriela are some really incredible young people. During their almost three week visit to the facility in Karnes County, Texas, they filed complaints and reports of issues. This facility, operated by the private contractor Geo Group, is not licensed as a childcare institution, raising significant concerns regarding the welfare of detained children.
The family had recently come to Karnes County after escaping violence in their home country of Colombia. For Jade, as the youngest, the memories of what they all went through are blurry at best. She is too young to recall the threats her family received. Now, she contends with the fear of being separated from her parents and concern that immigration agents could show up at school. Jason and Gabriela are still plagued by the extortion and violence that once defined their day-to-day lives.
In between figuring out the often bewildering and harrowing experience of their time in detention, they endured many challenges. Upon being brought into the makeshift facilities, authorities took most of their possessions, giving them nothing other than used clothing and towels. For many, the emotional toll of their situation loomed even larger.
The Struggles of Detention
While they were detained at the Karnes facility, Jade’s parents did their best to provide a sense of normalcy for her. The reality of their situation was insurmountable. Think about how you would feel if you saw your child upset that they can’t attend school,” Gabriela said. You can’t even say, ‘Oh, let’s walk to the corner. Let’s go get an ice cream cone. Or some potato chips.’
The psychological toll was further burdened with the nightly separation of family members. As mothers and children were put to bed together, fathers were held in their own dorms, where their sense of safety was additionally undermined. Jason shared the intensity of their situation: “It was a very, very tough situation – it had become impossible to continue living here.”
Despite the challenges, the family managed to communicate with loved ones through costly phone calls, purchasing minutes to stay connected. Jason said, “How else do we advocate for ourselves? We got nothing out here.”
Legal Battles and Support
After serving out their time in detention, Jade, Jason and Gabriela were released on March 25th. Their lawyers are now helping them use that legal status to stay in the US legally. The journey forward is still unclear, as they begin to face what life is like without legal status.
Gabriela articulated the weight of their situation: “How do you explain any of this to a child? Your mom can’t do anything for you. Your dad can’t do anything.” As Jade approaches her teenage years, Patricia is becoming more concerned, knowing that this time of life will determine much of her daughter’s destiny. “Everything that happens to her now will brand her,” she continued. “All of the things that have occurred should have shattered her in some way, traumatized her.”
Advocates and mental health professionals, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, have raised alarms over the lasting effects of family detention on children’s psychosocial development. Specialist on family detention issues Dr. Mukherjee stressed that children experience time in a very different way from adults. He noted that even brief stretches of time in detention can have detrimental permanent effects on a child’s development, which he labeled as cruel.
Reflections on Family and Hope
The emotional scars from their prison experiences last long past release. Jade expressed her uncertainty about the future: “I just didn’t know what would happen to us.” Even as a family struggles to maintain their hard-won stability, they grasp at hope in the face of despair.
Reflecting on their time in detention, Gabriela attempted to infuse humor into an otherwise bleak situation: “Actually we have lots of shirts like this – we’re quite patriotic.” Scenes like these bring some levity to the narrative, but they remind us of these heroes’ resilience against overwhelming circumstances.
The reopening of these controversial family detention centers would be a sad, ugly retreat into another dark chapter of U.S. immigration policy. As families like Jade, Jason, and Gabriela still increasingly find themselves on a journey that no one should have to experience. They may be looking for safety and stability in their new home. Their journey serves as a reminder of the important need for compassion behind inclusive and comprehensive immigration reform.