Public Comment
Petition to Congress: Don't Send Children Back into a War-zone
Our country is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, and as a nation of immigrants, it's our civic duty to show true American leadership and protect innocent child refugees from life-threatening violence!
In the past month, thousands of starving, scared, and traumatized children have fled from Central America to the United States border -- fleeing countries like Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador that have been torn apart by gang violence and drug wars -- in seek of refuge and safety. Some of them even carry horror stories of young kids in their country being chopped to pieces and burned for refusing to take part in local gang activity.
And instead of helping these young innocent refugees, Congress is trying to push forward a bill called the HUMANE Act -- which is anything but humane -- that would fast track the shipping of these children back into danger and violence, where they will face potential death.
The HUMANE Act is a slap in the face to what America represents. This bill would undermine our core values as a country by overturning vital protections for child refugees passed during the Bush administration that legally require the U.S. to provide assistance to child refugees who are threatened by violence in their home countries. And President Obama -- who earlier declared he would not send them back without giving them a fair chance at safety -- has now pledged to sign the HUMANE Act into law if passed. For the full text of the bill, click here. These children need us to come together and help stop this shameful bill in its tracks.
Let's be clear. This has nothing to do with the ongoing immigration debate. This is a catastrophic humanitarian crisis that has come to a head because of the growing violence in countries that have turned into war-zones. We have both a moral and legal obligation to protect these children!
But since reaching our borders, they have been welcomed by hateful protesters holding signs that read "RETURN TO SENDER" and "NO VACANCY." And this gut-wrenching backlash in Washington is only making matters worse. Are these the values our country was founded on? Or the values that we want to pass onto our children?
Now more than ever we must have the courage to stand up and let the world know who we are as a nation. It starts with stopping the HUMANE Act.
ACTION: CLICK HERE to stand for justice and American values by signing the petition demanding Congress vote NO on the HUMANE Act.
