This statement can be attributed to Wendy Cervantes, director of immigration and immigrant families at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP).

Washington, D.C., December 13, 2024–This past week, the incoming Trump Administration announced its intention to end long-standing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) guidelines to restrict immigration enforcement activities in places deemed critical for children and families, such as hospitals, child care centers, schools, and places of worship. We applauded the protected areas policy when it was revised and strengthened by the Biden Administration in 2021 to include food pantries, vaccination sites, and disaster relief locations, as well as places where children gather, such as playgrounds.

Any plan to rescind the protected areas policy is just part of a wider effort to instill fear in immigrant communities and deter parents from taking their child to the hospital or dropping them off at child care or school. We witnessed how immigration enforcement efforts under the first Trump Administration impacted participation in early childhood programs and deterred parents from accessing lifesaving services, creating stress for families, care providers, and entire communities. The principles behind the protected areas policy are rooted in the recognition that immigration enforcement does not have to come at the cost of the health and well-being of children, including U.S. citizen children in mixed-status families.

With or without a formal DHS policy, we stand ready to ensure that families and care providers are informed about their rights and that families are able to meet their basic needs. We will not allow fear to stand in the way of human dignity.

See CLASP’s toolkit for early childhood stakeholders on how to keep their centers safe from immigration enforcement. CLASP also leads the Children Thrive Action Network, a coalition committed to defending and protecting children in mixed-status families.