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Congress is going to vote on two immigration bills this week, and it’s important to know that the Trump administration is breaking up families and using children as political collateral.
The administration — Attorney General Jeff Sessions, in particular — implemented a policy in April that separates families as a deterrent to crossing the border. Even families seeking asylum from gangs, abuse or war face the same inhumane fate.
This policy is un-American and quite possibly the worst political bargaining chip in our history. The long-lasting psychological effects caused by being stripped from your parents are well known, and the Trump administration has made the political calculation that those effects are worth getting funding for a southern border wall.
As a U.S. citizen, I am outraged, I am sick, and most of all, I am worried. I am worried that Democrats will be labeled as obstructionist and inhumane for voting against a bill to end the policy of family separation. In reality, this is a policy change by the Justice Department, not a law passed by Congress.
The Trump administration has the power right now to end this, but chooses to use these children as collateral for a border wall. Don’t be fooled, do your homework, call your representatives, and vote this fall for those who were willing to stand up to this grotesque policy.