The Children’s Partnership, our staff and board have a message for U.S. leaders: A child is a child.
All children deserve to be healthy, with strong and secure families living in safe and welcoming communities. This includes children who have come here as immigrants, children whose parents are immigrants, and children in mixed-status families (where family members have different citizenship or immigration statuses).
In his first days in office, President Trump took several actions that threaten the well-being of California’s children and our country’s economic future, rescinding several important immigration-related orders from the Biden administration and signing a litany of executive orders. We know the devastating consequences these actions will have: instilling fear; creating a chilling effect on children’s participation in health, education and social services; and causing significant economic and social instability.
Our shared values of dignity, freedom and the chance at a brighter future demand we protect all children in immigrant families.
We know:
- An immigrant child is a child, and they deserve safety, protection and freedom from the fear of being separated from their parents.
- A child whose parents are immigrants is a child.
- A child born in the United States is a child – and a U.S. citizen, protected by the Constitution.
Children in immigrant families are under attack. Together with our partners, community leaders and families, we will fight for all our children:
- Working with our community, education and early education partners to relaunch our ALL IN for Safe Schools campaign to ensure schools have the resources and support they need to implement safe-school policies for California’s children. California’s schools and early learning centers need to be safe places to learn without fear of ICE or immigration enforcement on site or nearby.
- Protecting Medi-Cal and ensuring all who are eligible continue to have access to this critical coverage, and making sure California continues its commitment to Health4All.
- Coordinating with community partners, coalitions and state leaders to ensure resources and information for families are clear, aligned, culturally responsive and available to all families.
The Children’s Partnership is proud to be part of a network of organizations in California and across the country advocating for the health and well-being of all children, and we reaffirm our commitment to immigrant children and their families. Immigrants are part of the fabric of our society; they are our neighbors, our family members and our friends. As we consider the overlapping identities of children, The Children’s Partnership will work to protect the health and rights of any group of children facing threats from the federal government, including LGBTQ+ children; Black, Indigenous, Latine and other children of color; children facing poverty; and others.
Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our children. We need every action, small or large, for our children in 2025 and always.
Learn more about children in immigrant families in California via our A Child is a Child fact sheet here.
