January 29, 2026 / News & Blog
ACM issues the following statement regarding our unwavering commitment to the safety and rights of children in the face of recent immigration enforcement actions.
At ACM, our vision is a world that prioritizes the rights of all children to playful learning and a healthy, safe, and equitable future. This vision is not a passive goal; it is a fundamental right. Today, that future is under direct threat.
For more than a century, children’s museums have been at the forefront of designing immersive environments tailored to fostering learning, growth, and play in young minds. Children’s museums are trusted, essential, child-centric community organizations providing a safe space for children and families to engage and learn.
The evidence is undeniable: decades of child development research shows that fear, trauma, and chronic stress in early childhood cause lasting, fundamental harm. When we subject children to harmful environments, we are compromising their biological and emotional foundations.
Recent events in Minnesota and across the country have exposed young children to violence, detention, and profound insecurity. We view these developments as a critical crisis of well-being.
Children are being harmed, and it is our moral and professional responsibility to speak out and do what we can to support affected children and families.
As we approach a defining moment in our nation’s 250-year history, we must demand better of our institutions. A society is measured by how it treats its children—and right now, we are failing that test. It is our firm hope and expectation that practices which inflict trauma on children will be discontinued immediately. Further, we look to our nation’s leaders to work together to develop and implement policies that will prioritize children’s mental health and well-being first and always. We must choose a path rooted in safety, stability, due process, and care so all children may thrive.
To our member museums, their leadership, and their staff: we know that children are not collateral; they are the priority. ACM will continue to do all we can to ensure that every child, regardless of their circumstances, is protected and put first.
We stand in solidarity with the staff at our member museums who are being affected, directly or indirectly, by immigration enforcement actions. We remain dedicated to supporting your leadership as you navigate these challenges and continue to be safe spaces for the children in your communities. We will do our part and do what we do best: learn from one another and use this knowledge to ensure that our children and families continue to feel safe and healthy in our spaces.
