After reading about the Afghan family detained in L.A. March 2 on their way to Washington, I felt the final straw breaking. This family had been vetted after years of effort, was not from a country on the banned list, and had worked for the U.S. government in Afghanistan. The wife, who speaks no English, was taken with her children, ages 6, 7 and 8 months, to a detention center without her husband, who was detained elsewhere.

Trump’s White House has ordered the building of a 20,000-bed detention center in Texas where immigrants are to be held. It is meant as a deterrent for those contemplating coming to the U.S. illegally.

This family had legal authority to enter the U.S., had a place to resettle in Washington, and still the Immigration and Customs Enforcement took them from the airport, separated them, and would not allow legal counsel to communicate with them, according to the petition to the court.

After receiving the petition, a California judge issued a restraining order just one hour before the mother and children were to be flown to detention in Texas. This sounds unreal, like something out of Gestapo Germany in the 1930’s, but it is here, happening right now.

We need to contact our representatives and let them know this kind of inhumane treatment is wrong. Please voice your concern. Don’t be silent, because this government takes our silence as agreement with their policies.

Ileen O’Leary

North Bend