No child should have to defend themselves in court alone. To abandon a child to face a legal system built for adults, without a lawyer, is a moral failure. That is why we are calling on Congress to pass the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act, to ensure this never happens. 

There have been at least 6,200 children detained in immigration detention since President Trump was inaugurated. Conditions in detention centers are dire. Fluorescent lights shining around the clock, rotten, spoiled food for meals, dirty drinking water, and a lack of access to necessary medical care. 

The Flores Settlement Agreement sets national standards for the treatment of children in immigration detention. It requires "safe and sanitary" conditions, which we know are not being met at present. It also limits how long children can be held in detention to a maximum of 20 days, which is also being violated, with most children now being held for an average of six months. 

Each month, more than 10,000 minors are deported back to danger. These rates are triple what they used to be. 

Many of these children are left to defend themselves in court. After the administration ended a contract that paid attorneys to represent unaccompanied minors, more than 20,000 children have been left to represent themselves in immigration court, before a judge and government prosecutor speaking often in a language they don't know. This is morally unacceptable. This means the chances of them being deported increase, due to them struggling to fight their case alone. The Fair Day in Court for Kids Act (US HR 9259/US S 1297) would ensure that every unaccompanied minor who faces immigration court is represented by a lawyer and not alone in the process.

As an Immigrant Welcoming Denomination, the United Church of Christ has long worked prophetically to fulfill our biblical call to love the immigrant as our neighbor. At the most recent General Synod, the UCC passed a resolution denouncing the federal government's attack on immigrants and refugees. Jesus calls us to feed, clothe, shelter, and welcome the immigrant (Matthew 25:35–40). Jesus himself was a refugee and a migrant. He knew what it meant to flee danger and depend on the mercy of others. When we care for immigrant children and recognize the face of Jesus within them, we respond to and answer Jesus' call. 

Congress must hold detention centers accountable and use their oversight to prevent further human rights abuses and violations of the Flores Settlement. Children can't wait. Call on your members of Congress to pass the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act!