Trump Pressures Dems to End Law Separating Families at the Border

The Democrats have been resistant to Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ “zero tolerance” policy against illegal immigration. 

 

Last month, Sessions announced that the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security will be implementing the strict policy. He also said he would be sending 35 more prosecutors and 18 immigration judges to handle immigration cases at the southwest border. 

“If you cross this border unlawfully, then we will prosecute you. It’s that simple,” said Sessions. “If you smuggle illegal aliens across our border, then we will prosecute you. If you are smuggling a child, then we will prosecute you and that child will be separated from you as required by law. If you don’t like that, then don’t smuggle children over our border.”

Immigrant advocates and the Democrats are claiming Sessions’ new policy is heartless and only detours migrants from seeking asylum in the U.S. 

When the White House chief of staff John Kelly was asked by NPR about the argument from opponents of the immigration policy that it’s “cruel and heartless to take a mother away from her children,” he defended the policy. 

 

“I wouldn’t put it quite that way,” said Kelly. “The children will be taken care of — put into foster care or whatever. But the big point is they elected to come illegally into the United States and this is a technique that no one hopes will be used extensively or for very long.” 

“No law requires this — separating parents and children is your administration’s choice. Hundreds of kids as young as 18 months are in danger of suffering lifelong trauma. We won’t let you shift the blame or use families as bargaining chips for your wall,” tweeted the ACLU.

But Trump is pointing out that since the Democrats won’t compromise on immigration policy, children at borders are being separated and deemed as “unaccompanied minors” because their parents are being held at adult detention centers. 

 

Author’s note: The Trump administration has made it clear that they are open to negotiation and compromise. This problem could be fixed, but Dems are dragging their feet over the construction of the border wall.