To assist the 2,363 children living in New York that have been traumatized by family separation and other Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) as a result of actions taken by the Federal Government of the United States of America under the “Zero Tolerance Policy”.
Assembly Members Andrew Hevesi, Harvey Epstein, Ellen Jaffee, Catalina Cruz, Maritza Davila, Marcos Crespo, Aravella Simotas, Michael Blake, Yuh Line Niou, Dan Quart, Jose Rivera, Carmen De La Rosa, Pat Fahy, and Assistant Speaker Felix Ortiz, along with Senators Alessandra Biaggi and Brian Benjamin were joined by Prevent Child Abuse NY, Safe Passage Project, Safe Horizon, the New York Immigration Coalition, New York State Council of Churches, Catholic Charities, The Legal Aid Society, JCCA and the Legal Project to advocate for the CTRA. The CTRA aims to address trauma and hurdles faced by unaccompanied minors with no lawful immigration status in the United States, many of whom were separated from their families as a result of the Trump Administration’s “Zero Tolerance” immigration policy. This bill calls for a range of services that aim to ensure the wellbeing of such children, who are now in the care of the State of New York. Specific services under the CTRA will include trauma-informed care, legal representation, healthcare, education, and language services, among others, all of which are critical to rectify the serious adversities and toxic stress experienced by this population.
The American Academy of Pediatrics states that, “highly stressful experiences, like family separation, can cause irreparable harm, disrupting a child’s brain architecture,” and that “prolonged exposure to serious stress – known as toxic stress – can carry lifelong consequences for children.” The results for children who have experienced trauma, the toxic stress it produces, and their body’s physiological response, may include learning difficulties, behavioral problems, difficulty regulating emotions and increased and potentially debilitating physical and mental health issues. The Zero Tolerance Policy intentionally inflicted trauma upon these children. New York State must lead on behalf of this vulnerable population and ensure that every effort is made to provide these children with the support they need in order to combat the trauma they have endured.
"Trump's devastating 'zero tolerance' policy that separated thousands of immigrant families at the border and displaced immigrant youth across the country, has created lasting trauma as a direct result of these actions. For the 2,363 children who are now sheltered in New York, as a state it is our duty to do everything in our power to protect them from enduring further harm. The purpose of this bill is to provide critical mental health and harm-reduction services to immigrant youth who have experienced trauma at the hands of federal immigration policies, and to continue to build support for immigrant New Yorkers at large while we demand justice at the national level," said State Senator Alessandra Biaggi.
"We agree 'that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men and women to do nothing.' Thousands of children have been intentionally traumatized by the federal government of the United States of America” said Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Social Services, "We will not sit idly by while that intentional trauma manifests into lifelong difficulties for these children, our communities, our state and our country. Traumatic separation from a parent is one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE’s) that causes toxic stress. Scientists have found that exposure to toxic stress and the resulting elevated levels of stress hormones damages the structure and function of a child’s developing brain. Specifically, the persistently elevated levels of cortisol produce dramatic changes in the connectivity within the prefrontal cortex. The results for children who have experienced trauma can include learning difficulties, behavioral problems, difficulty regulating emotions and increased and potentially debilitating physical and mental health issues. The physical health implications (short-term) of trauma include: headaches, fatigue, irritability, emotional outbursts, and over and under eating. The long-term health consequences of trauma include increased risk of cardiovascular disease and other chronic health problems including asthma, obesity, cancer, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases. New York State has the responsibility to act in order to enable these children to recover from the trauma inflicted upon them by our federal government.”
