Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, July 10, 2019, Page 9, Image 9

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    July 10, 2019
Page 9
Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views of the Portland
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O PINION
MCS Still in
Business
Martin
Cleaning
Service
Carpet & Upholstery
Cleaning
Residential &
Commercial Services
Minimum Service CHG.
$50.00
A small distance/travel
charge may be applied
CARPET CLEANING
2 Cleaning Areas or more
$30.00 each Area
Pre-Spray Traffic Areas
(Includes: 1 small Hallway)
1 Cleaning Area (only)
$50.00
Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area
and Hallway
Stairs (12-16 stairs - With
Other Services) : $30.00
Heavily Soiled Area:
$10.00 each area
(Requiring Pre-Spray)
Inhumane Treatment is New Level of Shame
Our moral
duty is to protect
all children
m arian W right e Delman
It is inconceivable that
these latest headlines
come from a civilized
nation. “Detained Mi-
grant Children Denied
Adequate Food, Water
and Sanitation in Tex-
as.” “There is a Stench:
No Soap and Overcrowding in
Detention Centers for Migrant
Children.” “‘The Taliban gave
me toothpaste’: Former captives
contrast U.S. treatment of child
migrants.”
Exposing details of the inhu-
mane conditions and neglect at
the Clint, Texas Border Patrol
station, the Associated Press re-
cently reported:
Lawyers warn that kids are
taking care of kids, and there’s in-
adequate food, water and sanita-
tion for the 250 infants, children
and teens at the Border Patrol
station…Fifteen have the flu, and
10 more are quarantined. Three
girls told attorneys they were try-
by
ing to take care of [a] 2-year-old
boy, who had wet his pants and
had no diaper and was wearing
a mucus-smeared shirt when the
legal team encountered him…
Law professor Warren Binford,
who is helping interview the chil-
dren, said she couldn’t
learn anything about
the toddler, not even
where he’s from or
who his family is. He
is not speaking…‘In
my 22 years of doing
visits with children
in detention, I have never heard
of this level of inhumanity,’ said
Holly Cooper, who co-directs
University of California, Davis’
Immigration Law Clinic and rep-
resents detained youth.” Many
children had not had access to a
shower or changed clothes since
they had crossed the border days
or even weeks earlier.
Meanwhile Justice Department
attorney Sarah Fabian argued in
court that the federal government
should not have to provide immi-
grant children with toothbrushes
or soap to fulfill its legal obliga-
tion to provide them “safe and
sanitary” conditions.
The spotlight on the inhumane
treatment at the border comes
just as the Trump administration
is threatening to conduct mass
deportation roundups of immi-
grant families, which will do
real and lasting harm to count-
less children. This action, which
the Children’s Defense Fund
has condemned in the strongest
terms, is the latest in a long string
of actions by this administration
meant to tear families apart and
sow fear and panic among immi-
grant communities.
The hostile, xenophobic rhet-
oric of the administration is so
pervasive that even very young
children now live with the daily
fear of losing a parent. The De-
partment of Homeland Security
has said that parents detained
while their children are at day
care or summer camp may be
deported while their children are
left behind.
Deportations and family sep-
arations have dire consequences
for children’s mental health and
well-being, and they put enor-
mous strain on communities—
especially the already over-bur-
dened child welfare system. That
the U.S. Department of Home-
land Security and Immigration
and Customs Enforcement refer
to this action as the “family op”
reinforces this administration’s
callous disregard for the chil-
dren’s lives that will be harmed
and the families that will be torn
apart by these actions.
Targeting children and fam-
ilies in an effort to create fear
among immigrant communities is
immoral and runs counter to the
values upon which this country
was built.
We urge the administration
to stop separating children from
their parents and to stop imprison-
ing children in unsafe, inhumane
conditions. We call on Congress to
refuse to fund the Trump admin-
istration’s cruelty. And we urge
state and local officials to speak
out against this administration’s
actions and equip their communi-
ties with the resources they need
to support impacted families. It
is our moral duty as a nation to
protect and defend all children, re-
gardless of where they come from
or the color of their skin.
God, forgive our nation and
help us to repent.
Marian Wright Edelman is
founder and president emerita of
the Children’s Defense Fund.
Area/Oriental Rug Cleaning
Regular Area Rugs
$25.00 Minimum
Wool Oriental Rugs
$40.00 Minimum
UPHOLSTERY
CLEANING
Sofa: $70.00
Loveseat: $50.00
Sectional: $110 - $140
Chair or Recliner:
$25.00 - $50.00
Throw Pillows (With
Other Services) : $5.00
ADDITIONAL
SERVICES
• Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning
• Deodorizing & Pet
Odor Treatment
• Spot & Stain
Removal Service
• Scotchguard Protection
• Minor Water Damage
Services
Call for Appointment
(503) 281-3949