WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives voted Tuesday to approve H.R. 4371, a controversial bill that would widen the federal government’s power to detain unaccompanied immigrant children and authorize invasive search practices, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.
The legislation would significantly expand the federal government’s authority to detain children who arrive in the United States without a parent or guardian.
According to the ACLU, the legislation would prevent many children from being released to “loved ones” while their immigration cases proceed.
The ACLU also warned that the bill could cause serious psychological consequences for children subjected to prolonged detention.
The press release discusses how H.R. 4371 would lead to “serious — and potentially permanent — psychological harm.”
The ACLU described the legislation as a “callous expansion of President Trump’s cruel detention agenda, targeting vulnerable children,” according to the organization’s statement.
“This bill masquerades as protective legislation but would instead subject children to physical and psychological harm,” the ACLU stated.
The ACLU also acknowledged lawmakers who opposed the bill, stating, “We thank the Members of Congress who held the line and voted against this harmful legislation.”
According to the ACLU, the organization is urging the U.S. Senate to reject H.R. 4371.
“Now more than ever,” the ACLU stated, “we need our elected officials to speak out against the Trump administration’s attempts to strip children of their rights and dignity, and to disappear them into detention.”
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