Amid outrage over children, White House defends immigration policy

[webfact]

Amid outrage over children, White House defends immigration policy

By Lisa Lambert and Makini Brice

 

A view of inside U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detention facility shows children at Rio Grande Valley Centralized Processing Center in Rio Grande City, Texas, U.S., June 17, 2018. Courtesy CBP/Handout via REUTERS

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Monday defended its hardline immigration policy at the U.S.-Mexico border as criticism mounted over detained immigrant parents being separated from their children, including video of youngsters sitting in concrete-floored cages.

 

While Democrats blasted such treatment as "barbaric" and some Republicans also voiced concerns, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said the administration was only strictly enforcing immigration law.

 

"This administration did not create a policy of separating families at the border. ... What has changed is that we no longer exempt entire classes of people who break the law," she told reporters at a White House briefing.

 

The family separations result from Trump's "zero tolerance" policy that provides for the arrest of all adults caught trying to enter the United States illegally, including those seeking asylum.

 

While parents are held in jail, their children are sent to separate detention facilities. Video footage released by the government showed migrant children held in wire cages, sitting on concrete floors.

 

Democrats and some of Trump's own Republicans have admonished the administration for dividing nearly 2,000 children from their parents between mid-April and the end of May.

 

Trump, whose promise to crack down on illegal immigration has been a major theme of his campaign and presidency, responded sharply to critics on Monday.

 

"The United States will not be a migrant camp, and it will not be a refugee holding facility. It won't be. You look at what's happening in Europe, you look at what's happening in other places - we can't allow that to happen to the United States, not on my watch," Trump said at the White House while announcing an unrelated policy.

 

Trump has sought to use the widespread outrage over the family separations to push through other immigration priorities that have stalled in Congress, such as funding for his long-promised wall along the Mexican border.

 

He has blamed Democrats for the impasse, even though his fellow Republicans control both chambers in Congress. Democrats have accused the president of using children as hostages.

 

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi called the separation of children from parents "barbaric" and said Nielsen should resign. Pelosi made the comment after visiting a detention centre for children at the border in California.

 

Republican Senator Pat Roberts tweeted: "While I firmly support enforcing our immigration laws, I am against using parental separation as a deterrent to illegal immigration. My concern, first and foremost, is the protection of the children."

 

Trump administration officials say the zero-tolerance policy, which was not practiced by the two previous administrations, is necessary to secure the border and deter illegal immigration.

 

Border crossings briefly dropped after Trump took office in January 2017, but have since risen to levels seen during the administration of his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama. Almost 52,000 people were caught trying to cross the southern border illegally in May, according to government figures.

 

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert and Makini Brice; Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva and Nathan Frandino and Yeganeh Torbati in Washington; Writing by Kevin Drawbaugh; Editing by Grant McCool and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-06-19

[BobBKK]

I clearly get the 'control immigration' policy and the 'they should not bring them' argument but I am also clear that snatching children from their parents is child abuse and they should not be pawns in this. 

 

Control immigration but let a ray of compassion in when it's about children who are confused and cannot understand what's going on. America what has happened to you?

[Boon Mee]

The Immigration process being followed is 100% legal. 

The Press is full of Nattering Nabobs of Negativism. 

[JAG]

3 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

The Immigration process being followed is 100% legal. 

The Press is full of Nattering Nabobs of Negativism. 

The Nuremberg Laws of 1935, and all that flowed from them in NAZI Germany were 100% legal...

[Chomper Higgot]

4 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

The Immigration process being followed is 100% legal. 

The Press is full of Nattering Nabobs of Negativism. 

You’ll be entirely relaxed then as the legal challenges arrive.

[Becker]

51 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

The Immigration process being followed is 100% legal. 

The Press is full of Nattering Nabobs of Negativism. 

And what you're full of I could get in trouble for pointing out.

[Tug]

It’s donald trying to bulley the dems to do his wall and immigration policy he could care less about kids he is really a nasty dude he is unamerican soon pray god he is gone!!

[BuaBS]

https://lawandcrime.com/immigration/obamas-immigration-agencies-separated-children-from-their-families-too-2/

 

ATEP under the Obama administration also separated migrant families thousands of miles away from each other in many cases.

But of course you don't hear about that.

[Silurian]

Looks like the WH is fractured on this whole issue...

 

Nielsen becomes face of Trump’s border separations

 

My favorite line from this article on how John Kelly has pretty much given up.

 

Quote

While Kelly himself once believed he stood between Trump and chaos, he has told at least one person close to him that he may as well let the president do what he wants, even if it leads to impeachment – at least this chapter of American history would come to a close.

 

Edited June 19, 2018 by Silurian

[bristolboy]

13 minutes ago, Silurian said:

Looks like the WH is fractured on this whole issue...

 

Nielsen becomes face of Trump’s border separations

 

My favorite line from this article on how John Kelly has pretty much given up.

Quote

While Kelly himself once believed he stood between Trump and chaos, he has told at least one person close to him that he may as well let the president do what he wants, even if it leads to impeachment – at least this chapter of American history would come to a close

 

John Kelly proposed separating children from their parents to deter illegal immigration last year, and now the Trump administration can't get its story straight

As the Trump administration offers inconsistent justifications for the policy of separating migrant children from their parents at the US-Mexico border, an interview from last year has resurfaced in which John Kelly, then the secretary of homeland security, suggested the separation of families could help deter illegal immigration.

When asked by CNN in March 2017 whether the Trump administration was seriously considering separating migrant children from their parents, Kelly said, "Yes, I am considering in order to deter more movement along this terribly dangerous network ... I am considering exactly that."

He added: "I would do almost anything to deter the people from Central America to getting on this very, very dangerous network that brings them up through Mexico into the United States."

https://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/John-Kelly-proposed-separating-children-from-13004459.php

Kelly, is, in fact, a nasty piece of work when it comes to this immigration issue.

[Silurian]

31 minutes ago, BuaBS said:

https://lawandcrime.com/immigration/obamas-immigration-agencies-separated-children-from-their-families-too-2/

 

ATEP under the Obama administration also separated migrant families thousands of miles away from each other in many cases.

But of course you don't hear about that.

 

So the reality TV con artist can overturn other policies but he is too weak to change this immigration policy? Huh. Interesting. Must be all those Democrats in power...wait, they are not in power. So what is holding him back from changing this policy? I guess it is all those xenophobic followers that would see him weak on borders, right?

 

 

[DM07]

39 minutes ago, BuaBS said:

https://lawandcrime.com/immigration/obamas-immigration-agencies-separated-children-from-their-families-too-2/

 

ATEP under the Obama administration also separated migrant families thousands of miles away from each other in many cases.

But of course you don't hear about that.

Yes you did (if you wanted to read! or listen) and many were outraged at the time!

Although in this case, Trump really beats Obama, when it comes to quality and quantity...so to say!

[johnnybangkok]

2 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

The Immigration process being followed is 100% legal. 

The Press is full of Nattering Nabobs of Negativism. 

I really wish some of you Trumpers would get a modicum of facts before you jump to the defense of your beloved leader. 

The immigration process is NOT legal as Trump administration decided to charge everyone crossing the border with illegal entry rather than as asylum seekers (which the vast majority are). Human rights organizations, including the United Nations, have argued that this violates international law as this allows his administration to charge them in criminal court rather than waiting to see if they qualify for asylum. Even with all this, however there is still no law that requires immigrant families to be separated, however because migrants who’ve been referred for criminal prosecution get sent to a federal jail and brought before a federal judge, that’s where the separation happens — because you can’t be kept with your children in federal jail. 

The ACLU won an early victory in its case in June when the federal government asked the judge to throw out the case about families being separated from their parents. The judge refused and in his ruling, he made it clear he believed that if the allegations against the administration were true, they might very well be unconstitutional — violating family integrity, which some courts have found is implicitly part of the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of “liberty” without due process of law.

So no. It's nowhere near being '100% legal'.

[honu]

[johnnybangkok]

1 hour ago, BuaBS said:

https://lawandcrime.com/immigration/obamas-immigration-agencies-separated-children-from-their-families-too-2/

 

ATEP under the Obama administration also separated migrant families thousands of miles away from each other in many cases.

But of course you don't hear about that.

But, but, but Obama...........the cry of the lesser spotted Trumper always rings out.

The facts (an elusive subject for most Trumpers) are:

When the Obama administration attempted to respond to the “crisis” of families and unaccompanied children crossing the border in summer 2014, it too put hundreds of families in detention but federal courts stopped the administration from holding families for months without justifying the decision to keep them in detention. So most families ended up getting released while their cases were pending. In some cases, they disappeared into the US rather than showing up for their court dates.

The Trump administration didn't like this so just changed the perspective by not calling them asylum seekers but illegal immigrants. This then allowed the Trump administration to separate children from their families as their parents were being prosecuted through federal courts, which don't allow children to be present. 

Everyone heard about Obama but as usual, he followed and complied with the law. Trump on the other hand just changes things when he doesn't get his way, ignoring international convention and allowing America again to be seen as a bunch of uncaring and xenophobic rednecks.    

[Berkshire]

1 hour ago, Tug said:

It’s donald trying to bulley the dems to do his wall and immigration policy he could care less about kids he is really a nasty dude he is unamerican soon pray god he is gone!!

Exactly.  The most extreme in his base, i.e., the Coulters and Millers et al, are pushing him to get the wall or else.  And Trump, being the gutless wonder that he is with zero compassion or morale compass to do the right thing, is kowtowing to this base.  And on top of that, he just keeps lying and lying about it, saying it's not his policy.  There's no other way to say it, except Trump is just an evil little man. 

Edited June 19, 2018 by Berkshire

[johnnybangkok]

1 hour ago, Berkshire said:

Exactly.  The most extreme in his base, i.e., the Coulters and Millers et al, are pushing him to get the wall or else.  And Trump, being the gutless wonder that he is with zero compassion or morale compass to do the right thing, is kowtowing to this base.  And on top of that, he just keeps lying and lying about it, saying it's not his policy.  There's no other way to say it, except Trump is just an evil little man. 

He might be evil but he's also pretty clever.

It's the oldest trick in the political book; get the working man to blame the immigrants for all the problems in their life even though the country is run by billionaires and corporations. It always reminds me of the joke;

Billionaire, worker and immigrant sitting at a table with 20 cookies. The billionaire takes 19 of them and turns to the worker and says ' watch out, the immigrant is going to take your cookie away'.

Yet people can't see it. They just continue to fight among themselves for the scraps, blaming people who have little choice in their life but to try and find something better  even if it means putting themselves and their children in harms way, whilst the billionaires and corporations sit back and laugh about how much they are still getting away with it and how no one is blaming them.

It's a helluva con.

  

[Jonnapat]

4 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

The Immigration process being followed is 100% legal. 

The Press is full of Nattering Nabobs of Negativism. 

Quite obviously Trump to the very core.

[Baerboxer]

4 hours ago, JAG said:

The Nuremberg Laws of 1935, and all that flowed from them in NAZI Germany were 100% legal...

 

Hyperbolic, even by your standards!

[Thaidream]

Donald Trump is without a doubt the most unfeeling person I have never met nor want to meet.  He is a liar..... with one phone call he could change this policy'''and he knows it.  Separating children from their parents is immoral. Yet Trump expects the World to believe he has no power to change the 'law'.  Every President has the ability to advise his staff on how Immigration law is to be carried out.

 

The fact that almost 70% of Americans do not agree with the separation of children from parents will come back to bite Trump in the November elections. If the Democrats gain control of the House, which I believe is a real outcome, Trump will be impeached. Then it goes to the Senate where a vote of 67% is need to convict so it is obvious that Republicans will need to agree.  Trump apparently hasn't figured out yet that he can actually be impeached and convicted because there are many Republican politicians fed up with  Trump.

 

Donald Trump is headed for the trash heap of History and America is headed for a better day.  A horrid man, elected by a populace that never understood how utterly devoid of humanity Trump could be.

Edited June 19, 2018 by Thaidream

[Baerboxer]

If a husband and wife committed a robbery, or grand theft, or serious violent crime etc they would be arrested. Would they expect their children to go with them to a comfortable prison and still live as a family?

 

Illegal immigrants break the law in pursuit of economic gains. They seek to illegally enter and/or illegally remain and work in a country. Often they pay criminal gangs to transport them.

 

But the PC liberal left want to politicize the law. They want to only apply laws on those who views they don't like or to stop policies they don't agree with. And condemn any who don't agree. Once the law becomes subverted and controlled politically, a country is on a slippery road indeed. 

 

The media were hamming this up. BBC were showing photos of cute children crying and playing a tape of children crying and wailing as the soundtrack to various photos. Not once has a journalist questioned the judgement of parents who choose to do criminal activities for economic reward with their children.

[Baerboxer]

11 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

Donald Trump is without a doubt the most unfeeling person I have never met nor want to meet.  He is a liar..... with one phone call he could change this policy'''and he knows it.  Separating children from their parents is immoral. Yet Trump expects the World to believe he has no power to change the 'law'.  Every President has the ability to advise his staff on how Immigration law is to be carried out.

 

The fact that almost 70% of Americans do not agree with the separation of children from parents will come back to bite Trump in the November elections. If the Democrats gain control of the House, which I believe is a real outcome, Trump will be impeached. Then it goes to the Senate where a vote of 67% is need to convict so it is obvious that Republicans will need to agree.  Trump apparently hasn't figured out yet that he can actually be impeached and convicted because there are many Republican politicians fed up with  Trump.

 

Donald Trump is headed for the trash heap of History and America is headed for a better day.  A horrid man, elected by a populace that never understood how utterly devoid of humanity Trump could be.

 

So you think parents currently imprisoned for crimes, whatever they may be, should be reunited with their children and incarcerated as a family unit?

 

I think that happens in some third world countries already. Are you suggesting the US follows that model?

[mtls2005]

As Laura Ingraham has informed me...

 

 - these are child actors

 - those are not cages, but rather see-through walls

 - these facilities are like "summer camp, or even boarding school"

 

 

[Berkshire]

10 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

If a husband and wife committed a robbery, or grand theft, or serious violent crime etc they would be arrested. Would they expect their children to go with them to a comfortable prison and still live as a family?

You're equating asylum-seekers with violent criminals?  Seriously?

[sukhumvitneon]

Sessions: "If you cross the border illegally, your children will be separated from you."

Illegal migrant: "Yeah right"

*Crosses border*

*Kids get separated from parents*

Illegal migrant: "But, Drumpff!!!!  Muh kids!!!"

 

You can't make this stuff up folks.  These people act like they're entitled to migrate to the US but hopefully they'll get the message.

[sukhumvitneon]

8 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

You're equating asylum-seekers with violent criminals?  Seriously?

They're criminals the moment they cross the border illegally. 

[bristolboy]

41 minutes ago, johnnybangkok said:

He might be evil but he's also pretty clever.

It's the oldest trick in the political book; get the working man to blame the immigrants for all the problems in their life even though the country is run by billionaires and corporations. It always reminds me of the joke;

Billionaire, worker and immigrant sitting at a table with 20 cookies. The billionaire takes 19 of them and turns to the worker and says ' watch out, the immigrant is going to take your cookie away'.

Yet people can't see it. They just continue to fight among themselves for the scraps, blaming people who have little choice in their life but to try and find something better  even if it means putting themselves and their children in harms way, whilst the billionaires and corporations sit back and laugh about how much they are still getting away with it and how no one is blaming them.

It's a helluva con.

  

Not so clever.

The Political Price of Cruelty

"According to a recent poll by Ipsos and the Daily Beast, just 27 percent of Americans agreed—and 56 percent disagreed—that it is “appropriate to separate undocumented immigrant parents from their children when they cross the border in order to discourage others from crossing the border illegally.” Likewise, in a new poll from Quinnipiac University, just 27 percent of Americans approve of the policy, while 67 percent disapprove. And while majorities of Republicans approve—46 percent and 55 percent in the respective surveys—those are low numbers for a policy backed by the Republican president."

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/06/stephen-millers-family-separation-policy-is-already-backfiring.html

 

[DM07]

6 minutes ago, sukhumvitneon said:

Sessions: "If you cross the border illegally, your children will be separated from you."

Illegal migrant: "Yeah right"

*Crosses border*

*Kids get separated from parents*

Illegal migrant: "But, Drumpff!!!!  Muh kids!!!"

 

You can't make this stuff up folks.  These people act like they're entitled to migrate to the US but hopefully they'll get the message.

Ahm...actually, they are "entitled" to migrate into the USA!

It's called "seeking asylum" and it can hardly be done from abroad!

[Baerboxer]

13 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

You're equating asylum-seekers with violent criminals?  Seriously?

 

I'm equating all criminals with the law. I also said robbery, financial crime etc etc. The sentence would reflect the use of violence or not. White collar crime is now punished severely especially in the US.

 

These 'asylum seekers" are often purely economic migrants willing to break the law and then hoping to wangle asylum if caught. Or don't you think they're criminals?

[DM07]

2 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

I'm equating all criminals with the law. I also said robbery, financial crime etc etc. The sentence would reflect the use of violence or not. White collar crime is now punished severely especially in the US.

 

These 'asylum seekers" are often purely economic migrants willing to break the law and then hoping to wangle asylum if caught. Or don't you think they're criminals?

Some might be- most of them are not!