End Cruel Immigration Enforcement Against Kids

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the Trump administration's careless and cruel family separation policies.

Experts like the Society for Research and Child Development and the American Academy of Pediatrics agree that immigration detention and separation is a deeply traumatic, adverse childhood experience causing post-traumatic stress disorder, and it is never in the best interest of the child.

Yet, day after day, ICE continues to abduct children from their families, subjecting them to prisonlike confinement and conditions and exposing them to lifelong trauma.

Since President Trump took office, the number of children held in ICE detention each day has increased sixfold. By October 2025, at least 3,800 children had entered ICE custody and more than 1,300 of them were detained for over 20 days.

Mr. Speaker, these are not just numbers. These are real children, human beings whose lives have been disrupted and damaged permanently.

DHS facilities often fail to meet the basic standards of care, decent and adequate food, including medical care and mental health care. We just cannot stand by and watch while the administration forcibly separates families, inflicts long-term trauma on our Nation's youth, and strips our youth of safety and dignity.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source