SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
"Don't look away from the kids in cages, the asylum-seekers turned back at our border, the deportation raids destroying communities across the country," said Erika Andiola, chief advocacy officer for immigrant rights group RAICES. (Photo: RAICES/Twitter)
"Don't Look Away": Cages Across Des Moines Remind Iowa Caucus-Goers of Trump's Mass Detention of Migrant Kids
"The horrors at our border and throughout our immigration system are too often ignored by the public and politicians."
Feb 02, 2020
An immigrant rights advocacy group on Monday installed chain-link cages at a dozen locations throughout Des Moines, Iowa with the goal of ensuring that Democratic voters are greeted with a reminder of President Donald Trump's mass detention of migrant children--and the enormous stakes of the 2020 elections.
"Today caucus-goers in Iowa woke up to more than a dozen kids in cages all over the city of Des Moines. We came to remind people that this remains a reality and that the issue cannot be pushed under the rug."
--RAICES
Each cage set up by RAICES, a non-profit immigrant advocacy organization, contains doll children covered by the same mylar blankets used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detention facilities across the nation. The cages also play on a loop an actual audio recording from 2018 of migrant children sobbing after being separated from their parents by the Trump administration.
"The horrors at our border and throughout our immigration system are too often ignored by the public and politicians," Erika Andiola, chief advocacy officer for RAICES, said in a statement. "We're asking people in Iowa and across the country: Don't look away from the terrors enacted in your name. Don't look away from the kids in cages, the asylum-seekers turned back at our border, the deportation raids destroying communities across the country."
"This anti-immigrant crackdown has to end," said Andiola.
The Associated Press reported last November that the United States held a record 69,550 migrant children in detention in 2019. RAICES wrote in a series of tweets Monday morning that the crisis of children being locked in cages "cannot be pushed under the rug."
"This is a humanitarian crisis," the group said. "That's why we're in Iowa today. Because we know how to create a sane, rational immigration system that gives justice to those who have suffered its enforcement. That means halting all deportations, decriminalizing immigration, ending detention, and demilitarizing our border."
\u201cToday caucus-goers in Iowa woke up to more than a dozen kids in cages all over the city of Des Moines. \n\nWe came to remind people that this remains a reality & that the issue cannot be pushed under the rug.\n\n\ud83d\udea8 #DontLookAway this is a humanitarian crisis.\ud83d\udea8\n#IowaCaucus\u201d— RAICES (@RAICES) 1580734317
The displays in Iowa came after the Super Bowl halftime show in Miami Sunday night, headlined by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, featured a thinly veiled condemnation of Trump's mass detention of children.
"Opening her mother's song 'Let's Get Loud,' [Lopez's daughter] Emme Maribel Muniz belted the track from center stage, but one piece of the performance in particular caught the audience's eye," wroteEsquire's Justin Kirkland. "Muniz and a handful of other children sat inside what appeared to be rounded off, illuminated cages."
Watch:
\u201cThis was the defining moment of the Super Bowl.\n\nThe statement JLo and Shakira made by having the kids singing from these cages was immense.\u201d— Read Jackson Rising by @CooperationJXN (@Read Jackson Rising by @CooperationJXN) 1580703755
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your commitment. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. While every gift matters and makes a powerful difference, it gives us the stability to invest confidently in in-depth, fearless reporting — the kind of journalism that holds power accountable and fuels real change. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — your steady support helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
An immigrant rights advocacy group on Monday installed chain-link cages at a dozen locations throughout Des Moines, Iowa with the goal of ensuring that Democratic voters are greeted with a reminder of President Donald Trump's mass detention of migrant children--and the enormous stakes of the 2020 elections.
"Today caucus-goers in Iowa woke up to more than a dozen kids in cages all over the city of Des Moines. We came to remind people that this remains a reality and that the issue cannot be pushed under the rug."
--RAICES
Each cage set up by RAICES, a non-profit immigrant advocacy organization, contains doll children covered by the same mylar blankets used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detention facilities across the nation. The cages also play on a loop an actual audio recording from 2018 of migrant children sobbing after being separated from their parents by the Trump administration.
"The horrors at our border and throughout our immigration system are too often ignored by the public and politicians," Erika Andiola, chief advocacy officer for RAICES, said in a statement. "We're asking people in Iowa and across the country: Don't look away from the terrors enacted in your name. Don't look away from the kids in cages, the asylum-seekers turned back at our border, the deportation raids destroying communities across the country."
"This anti-immigrant crackdown has to end," said Andiola.
The Associated Press reported last November that the United States held a record 69,550 migrant children in detention in 2019. RAICES wrote in a series of tweets Monday morning that the crisis of children being locked in cages "cannot be pushed under the rug."
"This is a humanitarian crisis," the group said. "That's why we're in Iowa today. Because we know how to create a sane, rational immigration system that gives justice to those who have suffered its enforcement. That means halting all deportations, decriminalizing immigration, ending detention, and demilitarizing our border."
\u201cToday caucus-goers in Iowa woke up to more than a dozen kids in cages all over the city of Des Moines. \n\nWe came to remind people that this remains a reality & that the issue cannot be pushed under the rug.\n\n\ud83d\udea8 #DontLookAway this is a humanitarian crisis.\ud83d\udea8\n#IowaCaucus\u201d— RAICES (@RAICES) 1580734317
The displays in Iowa came after the Super Bowl halftime show in Miami Sunday night, headlined by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, featured a thinly veiled condemnation of Trump's mass detention of children.
"Opening her mother's song 'Let's Get Loud,' [Lopez's daughter] Emme Maribel Muniz belted the track from center stage, but one piece of the performance in particular caught the audience's eye," wroteEsquire's Justin Kirkland. "Muniz and a handful of other children sat inside what appeared to be rounded off, illuminated cages."
Watch:
\u201cThis was the defining moment of the Super Bowl.\n\nThe statement JLo and Shakira made by having the kids singing from these cages was immense.\u201d— Read Jackson Rising by @CooperationJXN (@Read Jackson Rising by @CooperationJXN) 1580703755
An immigrant rights advocacy group on Monday installed chain-link cages at a dozen locations throughout Des Moines, Iowa with the goal of ensuring that Democratic voters are greeted with a reminder of President Donald Trump's mass detention of migrant children--and the enormous stakes of the 2020 elections.
"Today caucus-goers in Iowa woke up to more than a dozen kids in cages all over the city of Des Moines. We came to remind people that this remains a reality and that the issue cannot be pushed under the rug."
--RAICES
Each cage set up by RAICES, a non-profit immigrant advocacy organization, contains doll children covered by the same mylar blankets used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detention facilities across the nation. The cages also play on a loop an actual audio recording from 2018 of migrant children sobbing after being separated from their parents by the Trump administration.
"The horrors at our border and throughout our immigration system are too often ignored by the public and politicians," Erika Andiola, chief advocacy officer for RAICES, said in a statement. "We're asking people in Iowa and across the country: Don't look away from the terrors enacted in your name. Don't look away from the kids in cages, the asylum-seekers turned back at our border, the deportation raids destroying communities across the country."
"This anti-immigrant crackdown has to end," said Andiola.
The Associated Press reported last November that the United States held a record 69,550 migrant children in detention in 2019. RAICES wrote in a series of tweets Monday morning that the crisis of children being locked in cages "cannot be pushed under the rug."
"This is a humanitarian crisis," the group said. "That's why we're in Iowa today. Because we know how to create a sane, rational immigration system that gives justice to those who have suffered its enforcement. That means halting all deportations, decriminalizing immigration, ending detention, and demilitarizing our border."
\u201cToday caucus-goers in Iowa woke up to more than a dozen kids in cages all over the city of Des Moines. \n\nWe came to remind people that this remains a reality & that the issue cannot be pushed under the rug.\n\n\ud83d\udea8 #DontLookAway this is a humanitarian crisis.\ud83d\udea8\n#IowaCaucus\u201d— RAICES (@RAICES) 1580734317
The displays in Iowa came after the Super Bowl halftime show in Miami Sunday night, headlined by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, featured a thinly veiled condemnation of Trump's mass detention of children.
"Opening her mother's song 'Let's Get Loud,' [Lopez's daughter] Emme Maribel Muniz belted the track from center stage, but one piece of the performance in particular caught the audience's eye," wroteEsquire's Justin Kirkland. "Muniz and a handful of other children sat inside what appeared to be rounded off, illuminated cages."
Watch:
\u201cThis was the defining moment of the Super Bowl.\n\nThe statement JLo and Shakira made by having the kids singing from these cages was immense.\u201d— Read Jackson Rising by @CooperationJXN (@Read Jackson Rising by @CooperationJXN) 1580703755
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.