Gail Phares: Detention of women, children must end

In reference to the May 24 news article “Women, children mark year in immigration lockup”: It is long past time to release these women and children being held in detention in Texas. What a disgrace. What are we thinking?

Over 68,000 women and children have fled violence and danger in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala seeking refuge here in the United States. Why are they being held in detention? It is time to let them go. Many of these little ones are not being given adequate legal counsel.

I spent my whole lifetime working for justice and peace in Central America. In the 1980s, I frequently visited the war zones in Central America and returned home to work for a halt to military aid. Remember that our government supported terrible wars in Central America. This led to an increase in poverty.

Our trade policies such as the Central American Free Trade Agreement have bankrupted thousands of small farmers, causing them to flee north to survive.

Now the U.S.-supported “war on drugs” has armed dangerous police and military forces. In the name of God, I say stop these terrible policies.

Stop detaining women and children who have come to the United States seeking asylum. We are a better nation then this.

This story was originally published May 27, 2015 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Gail Phares: Detention of women, children must end."