HR1178 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1178 LRB100 22455 MST 41348 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, President Donald J. Trump has falsely claimed that the forced family separation that took place at the U.S.-Mexico border is rooted in law; and

WHEREAS, The family separation was a direct result of an announcement made in early April of 2018 by Attorney General Jeff Sessions which stated that the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security would work together to criminally prosecute everyone who crosses the border illegally, now known as the Trump Administration's "zero tolerance" policy; and

WHEREAS, Since the implementation of this policy, over 2,300 young children have been torn away from their families; and

WHEREAS, It has been reported that hundreds of children have been caged with fencing at a facility in McAllen, Texas; and

WHEREAS, It has been reported that federal agents ripped a child away from her mother while she was breastfeeding her; and

WHEREAS, It has been reported that federal agents removed children from their families, ostensibly to give them baths, and they never returned; and

WHEREAS, Both law enforcement and Health and Human Services officials have been unable to provide statistics on how many of the detained children are under the age of five, two, or even so young that they are non-verbal; and

WHEREAS, There has been no independent documentation of the living conditions inside the detainment facilities, as allowed journalists have been barred from taking photographs or videos; and

WHEREAS, All of the photographs depicting the living conditions in such facilities have been provided by the Trump Administration; and

WHEREAS, According to a former youth care worker at the Estrella del Norte shelter in Tucson, Texas, during his tenure children struggled to cope with the extreme trauma, causing them to lash out hysterically and even attempt self-harm; and

WHEREAS, The American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association, and the American College of Physicians have all condemned the administration's practice, warning that children torn from their parents experience serious short and long-term health consequences; and

WHEREAS, According to experts, unexpected separation from a parent figure triggers a flood of stress hormones that disrupt neural circuits in the brain, creating high levels of anxiety, and damaging a child's capacity to manage their emotions, trust people, and focus their attention on age-appropriate activities; and

WHEREAS, As a nation, we put an end to the child welfare system using orphanages due to concerns of lasting trauma to children, and now the federal government has placed young children in facilities that are not equipped to take care of them; and

WHEREAS, In response to the clear mistreatment of children, 11 states are pulling National Guard troops from the U.S.-Mexico border; and

WHEREAS, Governor Bruce Rauner previously said he would send Illinois National Guard troops to the border, if asked to by the president; and

WHEREAS, While the president reversed course in signing an executive order to end his policy of family separation, it fails to address the over 2,300 young children who were torn away from their parents and remain separated; and

WHEREAS, The United Nations' top human rights official, Democratic and Republican lawmakers and governors from across the country, Prime Minister Theresa May, Pope Francis, and other religious groups have condemned or criticized the administration's policy; and

WHEREAS, The administration's unconscionable treatment of children is an affront to basic human decency and to the values that built the State of Illinois and the United States of America; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge Governor Bruce Rauner to reverse his previous stance by pledging that no state resources will be used to assist the Trump Administration in carrying out its policies at the border, and that he call on the Acting Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security to fully investigate how the thousands of young children currently detained are going to be reunited with their families; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Governor of the State of Illinois, the Illinois Congressional Delegation, the Attorney General of the United States, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, the Acting Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security, and the President of the United States.