1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

The Trump administration's decision to end the program tracking thousands of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia is deeply concerning and a grave human rights violation. Robust data collection and monitoring efforts are crucial to protect these vulnerable children and hold perpetrators accountable. This evidence is essential for any future prosecution of war crimes related to the forced deportation of minors from their home country. Reversing this misguided policy must be an urgent priority. Resuming the tracking initiative led by Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab would reinstate access to vital satellite imagery and information on the whereabouts of some 30,000 abducted Ukrainian children. This repository of evidence, potentially totaling $26 million worth of data, should not be permanently deleted due to its significance in documenting these egregious violations of children's rights under international law. Decisive action is needed to safeguard these children's wellbeing and pursue justice against those responsible for their forced removal from Ukraine. Restoring the tracking program is an essential step that does not require military support but enables the noble mission of ultimately reuniting these children with their families. Allowing this data to be destroyed would severely undermine accountability efforts and the ability to bring the perpetrators to justice.