Stop the cruelty of separating children from their parents

Enough already! How much longer should we endure the administration’s new policy of separating children from their immigrant parents? In the last six weeks, the administration has separated about 2000 children from their parents, with no clear plan for reuniting them

Yes, the immigrants are wrong for seeking amnesty by just walking across the border (as opposed to hiring a lawyer and making application through the immigration courts or entering the country through a port of entry) and, yes, we need immigration reform. But what does that have to do with purposefully being cruel?

The administration has decided to criminally prosecute every adult who crosses the border for illegally entering the country. This means they are transferred to a federal jail. Children can’t be taken to an adult jail, so they have to be housed separately. It’s not as if the children can be passed to a nearby waiting aunt or uncle. These people are far away from their homes.

Does U.S. law permit what the Trump administration is doing? Yes. Is the Trump administration obligated to put this policy in place? Of course not.

The policy was created for a single reason—deterrence, as White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly admitted. “They’re coming here for a reason. And I sympathize with the reason,” he said. “But the laws are the laws. But a big name of the game is deterrence.” He added that separating children from parents “could be a tough deterrent —would be a tough deterrent.”

If you think the administration is wrong, then take action. Contact your congressional representative and senators. Challenge them (especially if they’re Republicans) to confront the administration and be clear that you want a response.

To contact your representative, go to https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

For your senator, go to https://www.senate.gov/reference/common/faq/How_to_correspond_senators.htm

Spend about 15 minutes doing something important and lend a hand in stopping the administration’s madness.

____________________________________

Jack D’Aurora writes for Considerthisbyjd.com

______________________________________________________

Also published on Medium.

18
JUN

Steven Spring June 19, 2018

Great article, Jack!!! It’s only fitting that this “president’s” (I will stop using quotation marks when this “president” starts acting presidential) only allies are now North Korea and Russia. What’s ironic about this inhuman treatment of these kids, is that the “president’s” own wife was an illegal alien herself.
reply
- jdaurora@behallaw.com June 19, 2018
  
  Even more to the point, the president’s wife issued a statement that doesn’t support this policy. So, what kind of pillow talk with that cause?
  reply
  - Steven Spring June 19, 2018
    
    From what I hear, there isn’t much pillow talk going on because, like President Frank Underwood and wife Claire, they sleep in separate bedrooms.
    reply
    - Jim June 21, 2018
      
      Pillow talk must pass through walls.
      reply
Jim Cowardin June 19, 2018

Take a step back on this issue and think about why it is an issue. I am the head of a family in San Salvador, and I want to get our of that terrible place. I am willing to trek across several other countries, putting my family at risk, to reach the USA. I do this, because I have heard from sources that once you get across the border illegally, even if you are picked up, you will be protected. The US policy is to let you and your family go free after you are “put in the system” as long as you agree to return to the authorities when your hearing comes up. Further you know that you and your family can meld into society and never worry about attending the hearing. No one will force you to honor your agreement. No one can blame a husband and father for doing this to give his family freedom in the greatest country in the world. Since this was exactly the procedure repeated over and over in the previous administration, many families have decided to take their chances. That is a broken system, if there has ever been one. Ignoring the law in this case may be deemed humanitarian in the short run, but it could ruin our country.
We now have a president who is putting our country first, and we should support him as he operates the Executive Branch of government as it should be. If the congress wishes to change the law, no doubt, our president will faithfully enforce them, because it is the best thing for the country in the long run.
reply
- jdaurora@behallaw.com June 19, 2018
  
  Let’s slow down a bit. No one is advocating that the rule of law be abandoned. The issue is, can’t the law be enforced in a more humane way?
  reply
  - Jim Cowardin June 19, 2018
    
    Let’s think clearly a bit. The immigrants have broken our laws, which means they are in custody. If everyone taken into custody had the right to say, “Excuse me for a few minutes, your honor, I would like to go and get my family. We would like a room with a view.” If there is no consequence for breaking a law, there is no law. It is the parents who have done wrong here. Finally, we have an Executive is doing the job he was elected him to do. It is tragic for the kids, so heads of families should not make this tragic decision. But they will keep doing just that, unless we enforce the law. These children are suffering, because past administrations have failed to think clearly.
    reply
    - jdaurora@behallaw.com June 21, 2018
      
      I’m still not with you on this, Jim. The implicit message you covey is, the end justifies the means. Sorry, I can’t get there.
      reply
      - Jim June 21, 2018
        
        Where was your stern concern when Obama had immigrant kids sleeping in “cages”during his term? The president,who does love His country, has solved the problem, and he still gets no credit.
John June 19, 2018

Sorry, these immigrants were no longer oppressed when they crossed into Mexico. Could have asked for asylum there. Not to be hard hearted, they could have gone to a USA immigration control point and ask for asylumand would NOT be separated. But they have been told that the correct way has fsir and just procefures and they do not want that.
Follow the Holy Family’s example. Go to and register where Ceasar tells you you must go! Please do not denigrate this fine example by interjecting your own “feelings”.
reply
- jdaurora@behallaw.com June 19, 2018
  
  I’m losing you on the Holy Family example. Are you referring to the holy family fleeing to Egypt to escape the wrath of King Herod? Hmmm, is there a parallel here with the wrath of Jeff Sessions?
  reply
Cheryl C. Beall June 19, 2018

I called Senator Portman’s office this morning to ask that he support S.B. 3036, the Keeping Families Together Act, or some other solution that does not involve spending billions we don’t have on a useless wall. There is no Biblical justification for the administration’s actions – as leaders of nearly every major Christian denomination from Catholic to Protestant to even the Mormons have made clear. Methodists have called for church justice against Sessions for manipulating Romans 13 in service to this cruel policy. As Skakespeare observed, “Even the devil can quote Scripture to his purpose.”
reply
- jdaurora@behallaw.com June 19, 2018
  
  I’m always leery of people quoting the Bible, just for the reason articulated by Shakespeare. (He really said that? if so, it’s a great quote.)
  reply
  - Cheryl June 19, 2018
    
    I paraphrased from the Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 1:
    “Mark you this, Bassanio,
    The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose!
    An evil soul producing holy witness
    Is like a villain with a smiling cheek,
    A goodly apple rotten at the heart.
    O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!”
    
    Pretty apt description
    reply
Matt June 19, 2018

Hi Jack,
I don’t think that Trump caused this problem. He’s enforcing a law that was signed by George W. Bush and was passed by a Democrat Congress having Pelosi/Reid in charge. I don’t want Trump to pick and choose which laws to enforce, and I think it’s a shrewd political move to enforce the law as written while challenging Congress to fix the system. Congress can end this tomorrow if they want, but I don’t they will until both sides have been able to use the issue to raise money going into the mid-terms.
Best,
Matt
reply
- jdaurora@behallaw.com June 19, 2018
  
  I agree with you on two points, Matt. It’s a shrewd move, and the situation is probably good for generating campaign contributions. But can’t the law be enforced without being cruel? Isn’t there another way of handling the situation?
  reply
  - Matt June 21, 2018
    
    That’s a great legal/moral question. And I’m certain that we’d agree that no one has the obligation to follow an unjust law (in fact, we are morally obligated to oppose such a law). I’m just very uncomfortable with any President picking and choosing which laws to enforce—especially when Congress can solve the problem in an afternoon. This situation now sets a precedent for Trump because Congress and the media begged him to selectively enforce this law. Which law will he selectively enforce next?
    reply
    - jdaurora@behallaw.com June 21, 2018
      
      But a policy can be enforced in different ways. Trump chose the most drastic way–separating children from parents. Who says you have to separate the two to enforce the law?
      reply
Cheryl June 19, 2018

“It seems to me that an unjust law is no law at all.” – St. Augustiine
reply
- jdaurora@behallaw.com June 21, 2018
  
  Cheryl, I think you qualify as one of my more literate readers. Nicely done!
  reply
- Jim June 21, 2018
  
  I may be wrong, but the law was passed by a Democratic Congress.
  reply
Miriam June 20, 2018

It’s tragic and unbelievable what’s happening. The risks that are taken bringing children to these non access points. My friend Rai was an immigrant and just posted an article that he wrote. There has to be a better way and congress needs to get their head out of the sand and do something. Read this article. https://rjr8408.wixsite.com/rairojas
reply
- Jim June 21, 2018
  
  Where was your stern concern when Obama had immigrant kids sleeping in “cages”during his term? The president,who does love His country, has solved the problem, and he still gets no credit.
  reply
  - jdaurora@behallaw.com June 23, 2018
    
    Jim, I’m not aware the Obama administration separated children from parents, as you suggest. If you’re right–and I’m skeptical–then the Obama administration should have received the same criticism.
    
    As for Trump loving this country, well, I would hope he does. But all the love in the world doesn’t make up for bad decisions. And he hasn’t solved the immigration. He just made the issue more explosive, and now that he had to back down after being rebuked, he told Congress to abandon the problem until after the November elections. Problem solver? I don’t think so.
    reply
    - Jim June 24, 2018
      
      THe left will never give Trump credit for anything he does. The strategy is to just keep piling on with criticism. It would be more helpful to hear a solution put forth by the critics. But there is none offered. Criticism and obstruction do little to solve our problems.
      reply
      - jdaurora@behallaw.com June 24, 2018
        
        I’m happy to give Trump credit when he deserves it.
Cheryl June 21, 2018

One under-reported consideration is that U.S. foreign policy has helped to destabilize the Central American countries currently generating refugees. For at least 150 years, the United States has intervened with arms, political pressure, and foreign aid in order to protect the business and military elites of these “Banana Republics.” The petty dictators and their cronies that our soldiers propped up prospered by impoverishing their people.

Here are a few articles that outline the issues involved:
https://clas.berkeley.edu/research/immigration-latino-migration-and-us-foreign-policy
https://www.thenation.com/article/how-us-foreign-policy-helped-create-the-immigration-crisis/
http://theconversation.com/how-us-policy-in-honduras-set-the-stage-for-todays-mass-migration-65935

The key takeaway: just as in Syria, the U.S. helped to create conditions that require people to flee for their lives. To now refuse responsibility by turning away refugees or treating them as criminals is beyond hard-hearted. We helped to cause the problem. We should help to fix it – and not by throwing little children or families into concentration camps.

For the law-and-order crowd, I’d like to point out that requesting asylum is legal. A review of immigration court cases shows that most undocumented immigrants are charged with misdemeanors. They are eventually punished with a $10 fine, time served while awaiting their case to be heard and deportment.

Meanwhile, this administration has contained executives who are accused of felonies such as money laundering, perjury, lying to the FBI, insider trading, etc. Some may be guilty of treason for collaborating with Russia. These are the people I want locked up.
reply
- jdaurora@behallaw.com June 23, 2018
  
  You’ve pointed to an interesting piece of U.S. history that gets little attention. I imagine that much of what did when intervening in the Banana Republics is not sterling.
  
  I like your comparison of immigrants and high level execs. I hate to say it, but we have two justice systems in America.
  reply
Franklin Wilson June 22, 2018

For maybe the first time during his presidency our President is losing the PR battle.

1. Only 35% of his Base approves of the decision to separate families.

2. His Tweets are being drowned out by the images and sounds coming those young children he has chosen to incarcerate.

3. The far right wing of the Republican Party is clearly in control on this issue and they might just double down before they back down.
reply
- jdaurora@behallaw.com June 23, 2018
  
  My goodness, could this be a sign of good things to come in general? Let’s pray it is.
  reply

Subscribe to Comments

Blog

Comments

Add a Comment

Blog