Congressman Sherman Statement Following Visit to Immigrant Child Facility
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) released the following statement after his visit to the Youth for Tomorrow facility in Bristow, VA. The facility houses over 100 immigrant children including about 15 children that were separated from their families at the border:
"I was pleased to join Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA), Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA), and Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) during a briefing and tour of Youth for Tomorrow with facility staff, and staff from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
"I had the opportunity to speak with some of the children that are currently being held at the facility. These children have faced unimaginable horrors coming to the United States, and the trauma of that journey is only perpetuated the longer they are separated from their families. The Virginia facility is a fine institution—but children should not be institutionalized when they can instead be reunited with their parents.
"The facility is currently housing 15 children that had been separated from their families at the border due to the Trump Administration's "zero tolerance" policy. The facility is working diligently to identify the location of the parents of these children. Unfortunately, the process of reuniting children with their families is hampered by a system that involves a string of entities including HHS, Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), among others."
Congressman Sherman is Briefed by facility staff and staff from the Department of Health and Human Services at the Youth for Tomorrow facility in Bristow, VA.