ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 175
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED JUNE 18, 2018
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
Assemblywoman CLEOPATRA G. TUCKER
District 28 (Essex)
Assemblyman JOHN F. MCKEON
District 27 (Essex and Morris)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblymen Johnson, Kennedy, Assemblywoman McKnight, Assemblyman Holley, Assemblywomen Jimenez, Quijano, Assemblymen Schaer, Calabrese, Assemblywomen Pinkin, Murphy, Assemblyman Tully, Assemblywoman Swain and Assemblyman Greenwald
SYNOPSIS
Condemns federal government’s policy of separating immigrant families and contends that federal government’s actions are sanctioned child abuse.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As amended by the General Assembly on June 21, 2018.
An Assembly Resolution condemning the federal government’s policy of separating immigrant children from their families at the United States border.
Whereas, On April 6, 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice enacted a “zero tolerance” policy under which all unauthorized crossings at the Southwestern border of the United States will be treated as criminal offenses, instead of civil offenses; and
Whereas, These policies separate families crossing the border without authorization, since the parents are placed in criminal detention centers while the children are taken into the care of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and
Whereas, These separations may last months, or even years, since the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have few procedures in place to ensure the reunification of separated families; and
Whereas, It has been reported that the motivation for these policies is not to maintain the safety of the children, but merely to deter persons from committing immigration violations; and
Whereas, The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, and the American Psychiatric Association, together representing more than 250,000 doctors in the United States, are requesting an immediate reversal of the “zero tolerance” policy citing irreversible health complications to the children; and
Whereas, Experts find this policy is detrimental to the health of young children causing short-term developmental delays and long-term health concerns such as heart disease 1[, cancer,]1 and morbid obesity; and
Whereas, Parent-child separation also increases symptoms of anxiety and depression in adolescents, and young children whose parents were detained exhibit multiple behavioral changes, including anxiety, withdrawal, numbing, anger, crying, changes in eating, sleeping, toileting, and changes in development and learning; and
Whereas, This “zero tolerance” policy is medically unsound and should be considered nothing less than government-sanctioned child abuse; and
Whereas, Separating children from their parents violates one of our society’s fundamental principles which is that, to the extent possible, children should not be punished for the sins of their parents; and
Whereas, These policies also run
counter to the interests of the State of New Jersey, which depends upon
immigrants for its
cultural and economic growth; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House condemns the federal government’s policy of separating immigrant children from their families and contends that the federal government’s actions are sanctioned child abuse.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the President and Vice President of the United States; the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate; the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives; and every member of Congress elected from this State.