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State Representative Fernandez: Well-Being of Youths Separated From Families Must Be Considered

Lou Gum
State representative Charlene Fernandez visits the KAWC News studio on Monday, July 16, 2018.

As the federal government struggles to meet a court-imposed deadline to reunite families separated at the border, the well-being of the young children being kept in facilities in Arizona and neighboring states must be considered, state Representative Charlene Fernandez told KAWC.

"(It's) very sad," Fernandez said. "It's an emotional issue. I've gone to two (court proceedings)... I'm sure the kids are scared.

Fernandez said she has seen children as young as five years old in court.

"Their feet didn't even touch the floor," she said.

Fernandez joined other lawmakers including Congressman Raúl Grijalva in visiting a center in Tucson where migrant youths are being held as they await being reunited with families.

"It's clean," she said of the Southwest Key facility. "It's a converted hotel... very kid-friendly, but it's still a hotel."

Fernandez said she learned the facility follows the same meal calendar as local schools and was assured the kids receive meals. When kids arrive, they are given health screenings and immunizations.

She observed classes where the kids were being taught English.

"The kids were looking down and were very well behaved," she said.

Fernandez said her concern is that some officials look at the centers as a business and are not always considering the children's well-being.

Victor is originally from West Sacramento, California and has lived in Arizona for more than five years. He began his print journalism career in 2004 following his graduation from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. Victor has been a reporter for the following daily newspapers: The Monterey County Herald, The Salinas Californian and the Reno Gazette-Journal, where he covered stories including agriculture, education and Latino community news. Victor has also served as a local editor for Patch, a national news organization with hyperlocal websites, in Carmichael, California in the Sacramento area. He also served as the editor for The New Vision, the newspaper for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson, which includes Yuma and La Paz counties. Victor lives in Somerton. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends and following most sports.