A two-year-old Honduran asylum seeker cries as her mother is searched and detained near the US-Mexico border (John Moore/Getty Images).

 

The cumulative scholarly evidence on the harm to children and families’ wellbeing as a result of separating children from their families at the US-Mexico border is overwhelming. The following scholarly organizations have released statements on this topic and the NCID joins them in urging the cessation of separating children from their families:

American Anthropological Association (AAA)

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

American Educational Research Association (AERA)

American College of Nurse-Miwdives (ACNM)

American College of Physicians (ACP)

American Psychiatric Association (APA)

American Psychological Association (APA)

American Nurses Association (ANA)

American Public Health Association (APHA)

Center on the Developing Child

National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)

National Association of Deans and Directors Schools of Social Work (NADD)

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP)

National Association of Social Workers (NASW)

National Education Association (NEA)

National Latina/o Psychological Association (NLAP)

Society for the Anthropology of North America (SANA)

Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM)

Nursing Community Coalition (signees include the American Academy of Nursing; American Association of Colleges of Nursing; American Association of Nurse Practitioners; American College of Nurse-Midwives; American Nephrology Nurses Association; American Nurses Association; American Organization of Nurse Executives; American Psychiatric Nurses Association; American Society for Pain Management Nursing; Association of Community Health Nursing Educators; Association of Nurses in AIDS Care; Association of periOperative Registered Nurses; Association of Public Health Nurses; Association of Veterans Affairs Nurse Anesthetists; Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses; Dermatology Nurses' Association; Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association; International Association of Forensic Nurses; International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses; National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists; National Association of Hispanic Nurses; National Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners; National Association of Neonatal Nurses; National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health; National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners; National Association of School Nurses; National Black Nurses Association; National Council of State Boards of Nursing; National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers; National League for Nursing; National Nurse-Led Care Consortium; Oncology Nursing Society)

Calls to Action

The Council on Contemporary Families (CCF) has called upon family scholars and experts to sign their letter of opposition to the practice, within the realm of their scholarly commitment to identifying and sharing information relevant to policies to improve individual and family wellbeing.

Additionally, an open letter to the Department of Homeland Security is being circulated, calling on scholars and practitioners to sign their support.

 

If you are aware of other scholarly organizations/communities that have released such statements, please let us know at diversityscholars@umich.edu.