When I arrived at the Homestead Detention Center, as I have on every other morning, we went right over to the field to see the girls outside. The girls only seem to enjoy the field in the morning. Just as every other day, it was not long before security vehicles and guards joined us. We…
And yet, none of the children wear hats. They are in the same Florida sun on the same shadeless field. The children’s clothes are given to them by the detention center. So why no hats?
Even I could hear my own sharp intake of breath as I saw how young this boy was.
It is not just the words she spoke, but how she said them. It was the fear in her eyes as she looked around to see if anyone was watching her talk to us. It washer desperation that we get out her message, “What goes on inside there….horrible. Horrible.”
Their historic pain rings in my ears. Who am I, then, if I turn my back on children seeking asylum now?
At last night’s town hall, Representative Mark DeSaulnier responded to my question about the detention center in Homestead, FL. Please enjoy his response. In a nutshell, the new congress is on it. Let us help them.
Even while their access to the streets leading into the center are being restricted by intimidation and threats, they report how buoyed the teenagers are when they see the witnesses and their signs.
I could not help my father. I cannot go back in time to a story before my birth and spare the 4 year old who would later raise me. However, I can try to help children now.
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