Stop playing politics with children's lives
Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) holds a letter written by a child detained at Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas. Credit: The Washington Post/Maxine Wallace
Alexandria Odell is a family nurse practitioner and resident of Holbrook.
As I write this, I am sitting in my daughter’s nursery, rocking my 8-month-old baby to sleep. Like many parents, these quiet moments are among my favorite parts of the day. My daughter rests her head on my shoulder, feeling safe, loved and protected.
Recently, while scrolling through social media, I came across handwritten letters and drawings from children being held at Dilley Immigration Processing Center. The images had been shared by Ms. Rachel, a children’s educator whose videos are familiar to many parents. The children were asking adults to help them and to speak up on their behalf.
As I looked at their drawings and read their words, I found myself looking down at my daughter. I imagined what it would feel like if she were frightened, confused and separated from the people she trusted most.
I know that immigration policy is a complex, often divisive issue. Americans can reasonably disagree about border security, enforcement and the specifics of immigration law. But when it comes to children, there is common ground.
Children are not political talking points. They are developing human beings with emotional, psychological and physical needs. Regardless of where they were born or how they arrived in this country, children depend on caring adults for safety, stability and support.
As a healthcare professional, I know that childhood experiences shape lifelong health. Research has repeatedly shown that chronic stress and trauma can affect brain development, emotional regulation, learning and physical health. Young children are especially vulnerable because their brains and bodies are still developing.
Every day at my family medicine practice, I see how important secure relationships are for healthy development. Children seek comfort when they are afraid. They look to trusted adults for reassurance and protection. These needs are universal. They do not change based on nationality, language or immigration status.
This is not a partisan issue for me. It is a human one.
I am not writing as a politician, an activist or an expert in immigration law. I am writing as a nurse practitioner who understands child development and as a mother who spends her evenings rocking her daughter to sleep. I saw children asking for help and felt a responsibility to listen.
We can have thoughtful discussions about immigration policy while still recognizing our shared responsibility to protect children. Compassion and security do not have to be opposing values. We can uphold our laws while ensuring that children are treated with dignity and that their well-being remains at the center of decisions that affect them.
The children whose letters I saw may never know whether their words reached anyone beyond the walls around them. But their messages reached me.
If you wish to help these children, call your member of Congress and ask them to sign Rep. Joaquin Castro’s letter to close the Dilley detention center.
Tonight, as I hold my daughter close, I hope those children know that someone heard them.
Alexandria Odell is a family nurse practitioner and resident of Holbrook.
