Orange County supervisors Doug Chaffee and Vicente Sarmiento want to know if the county is prepared to care for U.S. citizen children from mixed immigration households should they be separated from their families. The supervisors also want county leaders to affirm the rights the children have as citizens.
On Tuesday, March 11, the OC Board of Supervisors is set to consider a resolution proposed by the two men reminding the public of the rights of U.S. citizen children regardless of their parent’s immigration status, but also asking for an update on the county’s readiness to address needs if children suddenly find themselves alone and review what services and initiatives are in place to support children stressed and fearful of a potential deportation of family.
The proposed resolution follows President Donald Trump’s promises of mass deportations across the country, increasing the possibility of citizen children facing family separation. On his first day in office, Trump signed hundreds of executive orders, including making changes to immigration policies and declaring a state of emergency at the southern border.
“It is simply a reality that children separated from their parents could be left without any support and will require the intervention from the county to ensure their well-being,” Chaffee said in a statement. “It is our responsibility to keep them safe.”
View this document on ScribdSarmiento said the county should keep families vulnerable to separation informed and “provide them with resources on how they should proceed.”
“It’s just understanding what the county’s role is, specifically the social services agency, and making sure we have some protocol to address that and work with probably our school districts, more than likely,” he said.
The supervisors also want to ask county agencies to assess their readiness to address the family separation issue and report back to the Board of Supervisors. The report would include what plans exist to place in care the children who don’t have a place to go and what supportive services may be available.
Children born in the United States to immigrant parents are U.S. citizens and have the right to live free of fear and discrimination, the supervisors’ proposed resolution declares.
“Local governments have a responsibility to ensure fairness, equality, and justice for all residents, and U.S. citizen children should not face disadvantages or an erosion of their constitutional rights due to their parents’ immigration status,” the proposed resolution says.
The OC Board of Supervisors meets at 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
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