On June 20, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) halting the administration’s policy requiring the immediate separation of children from their parents and/or adult caregivers upon presentation at a U.S. Port of Entry or Border. The effectuated impact of this EO is unknown. It also remains unclear if children separated prior to the issuance of the EO will be reunited with their parents and/or adult caregivers and, if they are reunited, when such unification will occur. The media is reporting that such unifications are starting to take place, but it is unclear how the administration plans to manage this process, overall.
Due to the lack of clarity surrounding the EO and the fact that children continue to be exposed to negative circumstances that impact their physical and mental well-being, the American Academy of Family Physicians has issued a second statement on the issue. Its statement calls on the administration to reunite children with their families and/or caregivers and to ensure that the physical and mental well-being of the children is prioritized.
“The AAFP continues to place high priority on the mental and physical health and safety of families separated during border crossings. The AAFP notes that an EO purports to ensure that, going forward, migrating children will remain with their parents and/or caregivers during the detention process. We are deeply concerned that the order fails to address the previously separated families.
The children originally detained at the southern border remain held apart from their parents, some as far away as Michigan, New York, and South Carolina. The administration is silent on its plans to reunite these families in an expeditious and humane manner. Further, while we assume the children’s physical needs are being met, with each passing day apart from their families, the mental and emotional toll taken on these children continues to mount.
- Immediately place the highest priority on reuniting the previously separated families.
- Ensure the mental and physical health and safety of the families, in particular, by providing access to qualified medical professionals to assess and monitor the emotional well-being of the children in the custody of the U.S. government.”