The United States government tore children from their mothers and fathers at the border. The horrific policy drew the ire of many across the country – and forced the Trump Administration to reverse course – but we’re only just now scratching the surface at the far-reaching devastation left behind: Mothers are now reportedly being told to pay for DNA tests so they can be reunited with their children; the government has offered few details about how it plans to get children back in their parents arms; and the places housing children are subpar. As it’s become increasingly clear that a resolution is still out of grasp, it’s also become imperative to center the voices of the victims, mostly Central American mothers and fathers who fled their native countries seeking asylum. Several Hollywood celebrities are doing their part by using their platforms to give attention to this issue and the real people who have seen their lives upended.
Teaming up with the ACLU, Maggie Gyllenhaal rounded up a group of actors to read the letter of Mirian, an Honduran woman who traveled to the United States with her 18-month-old son. Through celebrities like Aubrey Plaza, Oscar Isaac, Chadwick Boseman, and Kumail Nanjiani, we learn that she left her home in January after the government tear-gassed their home. When they arrived at Brownsville, Texas, Mirian informed officers she was seeking asylum, but officials just took her son from her, without providing any reason. She couldn’t even comfort her child, and she didn’t speak to him when they were apart.
“I have not been able to speak to my son, because he does not really talk yet since he’s so young,” she wrote. “I need to be able to hold him and reassure him that he is safe and that his mother is here for him.”
In May, after he spent two months and 11 days with strangers, she was able to hold her child again. The letter is a reminder that the fight is far from over. While some parents have been reunited with their children, there are still too many who have not. Listen to the full letter below: