In February, federal immigration agents detained a Soldotna mother and her children, including a 16-year-old and a 5-year old, transporting them to Anchorage, Alaska, may be the first time children have been detained by federal immigration authorities in Alaska. The state does not have access to immigration detention facilities for minors and lacks a long-standing process for handling situations like this. The oldest child, who had recently turned 18 and had no criminal record, was separated from the rest of the family and placed in adult detention. The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing to question immigration officials but did not automatically ensure that children will be treated differently if this happens again. Alaskans are known for their commitment to protecting the vulnerable and their stability, especially children, especially when they are separated from each other. The question is not politics but standards, but how we treat children differently, how we accept this, how standards are accepted in our own state.