In keeping with our strategic priorities, one of our goals is to help policymakers understand the important role psychology must play in addressing this critical societal issue. To that end, APA continues to weigh in on the separation of immigrant families in the United States.
In June, I sent a letter on behalf of APA’s membership to President Donald Trump expressing the association’s “shock and dismay about the burgeoning humanitarian crisis at the border and in U.S.-run detention facilities.” I strongly emphasized the need for the Trump administration to work with Congress to enact legislation to increase funding to deliver care, improve nutrition and train personnel to provide proper care for these immigrants, especially the children. Citing empirical evidence of the psychological harm experienced when children and parents are separated, I encouraged the president to honor his “commitment to a more humane practice of housing families together.”
This month, APA joined several other organizations in a letter of support for the Humanitarian Standards immigration bill, which was introduced and passed the House on July 24. APA staff and expert psychologists worked closely with House staff on the legislation to ensure it mandates initial health screening, including mental health, and health care for individuals in custody of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. A companion bill has been introduced in the Senate.
APA will continue to advocate on this issue, ensuring that psychology science is used to ameliorate the family separation crisis at the nation’s border.
Note: The information in this post provides a snapshot, as of the publication date, of some of the most recent work underway on APA’s strategic plan. This post is not meant to be a comprehensive account of this work, but rather to provide insight into some of the top-level themes that are emerging during conversations with members, including governance leaders. Your input is always welcome at strategicplan@apa.org.
