Separating children from parents abhorrent

Sara Anderson, Morgantown
Children rely on a warm and reliable relationship with caregivers, typically mothers. We nurture, guide, comfort and redirect. We hug and provide guidelines. Decades of research tells us the importance of these early relationships for adjustment in childhood and decades later.
That’s what makes the Trump administration’s latest policy of separating children from their (undocumented immigrant) parents so troubling. This policy will cause feelings of anxiety, fear and confusion among child and caregiver alike. Increases in a hormone called cortisol in children can lead to acting out behaviors and trouble with self-regulation. Should levels of toxic stress build up — which is likely in times without a caregiver — children are more likely to face disease in adulthood.
Lest we forget, we are a country of immigrants. Our ancestors fled religious persecution, famine and war. Families from Latin America are fleeing the same — gang violence, homelessness, extreme poverty and natural disaster. The U.S. offers hope.
I ask our community to remember our roots and our compassion. To think of our children. To remember hope.
Now, let’s use our voices to ask our elected representatives in Washington to call for an end to these policies and pass restrictions against such an abhorrent practice.