“And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.” – Matthew 18:5

In the face of the “Zero-tolerance” Immigration Policy of the United States Government, the ACT Forums of El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala:

• Find that the US immigration policy of separating children from their parents or guardians has been arbitrary, cruel and inhumane because it violates laws and international protection agreements, as well as, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which provides special protection for girls and boys.
• Believe that the executive order of President Donald Trump to stop the separation of immigrant children from their parents is a measure that will stop the separation of children from their parents, but that does not guarantee that their rights will be respected. They will be detained together with their parents, which constitute child abuse, violation of their rights and continue to violate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
• As Faith-Based Organizations reject any discriminatory measure that brings
  more pain to families and abuse of children, causing traumas and damage, perhaps irreversible.
• Ask the Government of the United States to stop these practices immediately and to honor the CRC with a zero-tolerance approach towards child abuse. 
• Call on the governments of the region to ensure the well-being of these children so that their rights are respected; guarantee that the best interests of the children are always given priority and the laws for the protection of children are observed; follow up on the treatment they receive at the border and in the detention centers; and guarantee the necessary conditions so that the population does not need to migrate.
• Urge the churches in Central America, and national and international organizations, to send letters to the Government of the United States demanding that Government officials take swift and efficient action to stop this practice; and dedicate cults, masses and other actions to sensitize the religious people about the abuse suffered by our children at the United States border.

San Salvador, June 22, 2018.