Catholic Charities Fort Worth hosts migrant children separated from parents

Fort Worth, Texas, Jun 20, 2018 / 14:07 pm

As thousands of children have been separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexican border in recent weeks, Catholic Charities Fort Worth has opened its doors to shelter the unaccompanied migrant children.

"…Catholic Charities Fort Worth has received and is assisting children who have been separated from their parents at the U.S./Mexico border," said Bishop Michael Olson of Fort Worth in a June 19 statement.

"The Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth and Catholic Charities Fort Worth, as in the past, will live out the mission to help those in need," Olson continued, noting that "Catholic Charities staff stands ready to expand the program as needed."

The Trump administration's immigration policy has garnered international attention for its zero-tolerance stance at the border, which has enforced the separation of migrant children from their parents who have be detained by border officials as a way to deter illegal immigration.

The United Nations condemned the separation policy June 5, saying it was "a serious violation of the rights of the child."

Olson additionally condemned the practice, saying supporting it "lacks compassion, promotes hardness of heart, and further desensitizes us to our mission and responsibilities as Christians to give comfort to the afflicted and to promote respect for human life…"

"The unwarranted separation of parents from their children not only harms those relationships but undermines the right to life, the respect for legitimate authority, and all other basic human rights in society," Olson remarked.

"The use of separation of children, including babies, from their mothers and fathers at the U.S./Mexican border as a tool for implementing the Administration's zero-tolerance policy is sinful because it undermines the right to life of the vulnerable, directly traumatizes those who have already been injured, and undermines the role of legitimate authority," he continued.

According to the administration, the policy has separated around 2,342 children from their parents between May 9 and June 5. The federal government is in charge of providing shelter for the migrant children who have been taken from their parents.

Catholic Charities Fort Worth has been hosting a number of migrant children in an effort to serve the families torn apart by the immigration policy. The Star-Telegram reported Catholic Charities was contracted with the federal government's Office of Refugee Resettlement, according to Pat Svacina, a spokesman for the Diocese of Fort Worth.

To protect the privacy of the children, Catholic Charities did not release any information on the children they were sheltering at their 26-bed facility.

An online statement from Catholic Charities Fort Worth offered ways to help, encouraging individuals to donate to their Unaccompanied Children program or help create welcome boxes. They are also looking for foster parents through the International Foster Care Program who can provide a safe haven for the children who have been separated from their parents.

"I call on each of us to examine our own consciences and interior lives if we in any way take cruel delight in these actions done in the name of our government and in the name of the security of our borders," said Olson.

"Separating children from their mothers and fathers in an already traumatic time in their lives as immigrants seeking asylum is inhumane and morally wrong without due regard for the safety and protection of the children and informed consent of their parents."