Trump’s Zero-Tolerance Immigration Policy Draws Bipartisan Backlash

This past Father’s Day, Democratic and Republican politicians alike spoke out against what many are calling “Anti-Family” and “Anti-American” immigration policies. Bipartisan efforts to end the separation of families at the border have grown. With many new conservative voices speaking out, tensions rise between the administration’s orders and our country’s values.

The intended displacement of children from their mothers and fathers has been compared to Japanese Internment Camps and Nazi Concentration Camps multiple times. Former First Lady Laura Bush recently criticized the zero tolerance policy in an opinion piece for the Washington Post:

“I live in a border state. I appreciate the need to enforce and protect our international boundaries, but this zero-tolerance policy is cruel. It is immoral. And it breaks my heart. Our government should not be in the business of warehousing children in converted box stores or making plans to place them in tent cities in the desert outside of El Paso. These images are eerily reminiscent of the Japanese American internment camps of World War II, now considered to have been one of the most shameful episodes in U.S. history.”

Michael V Hayden, the former CIA Director under the Bush administration and current political Analyst for CNN, tweeted a picture of Nazi Concentration Camps in regards to the fairly new immigration practices. He captioned the picture “Other governments have separated mothers and children”

Local Government officials of Border States have expressed their opposition to the estrangement of immigrant families as well. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins tweeted his empathy and desire for change:

Local officials from Tucson, Arizona pleaded for “not one more day” of the cruel policy. The superintendent of Pima County Schools, Dustin Williams, as well as Yaqui Tribe Chairman Robert Valencia, stated “The number one factor for destroying a child’s life is separating them from their mother, their father or their family.”

The Mayors of Los Angeles Ca, Houston TX, Albuquerque NM, and Tucson AZ, wrote a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, condemning his call for “Zero-Tolerance” at the border:

“There is no clear or compelling justification – in our past or in our laws – for taking an average of 47 kids per day away from their mothers and fathers. Such a policy is cruel. It is morally reprehensible. It is not an appropriate use of taxpayer resources, and it is utterly inconsistent with our values of decency and compassion – with our basic humanity.”

The immigration policies have been met with backlash from the religious community as well. Multiple leaders of faith have denounced the harmful practices.

Christian Evangelist and Missionary Franklin Graham called the policy “disgraceful.” In a joint statement from the U.S. Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), United Methodist Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Islamic Society of North America and Union for Reform Judaism, the Religious institutions plead for the families facing destruction:

“We affirm the family as a foundational societal structure to support human community and understand the household as an estate blessed by God. The security of the family provides critical mental, physical and emotional support to the development and well-being of children. We pray for the children and families that will suffer due to this policy and urge the Administration to stop their policy of separating families,”

On political, moral, religious, and bureaucratic levels, the Zero-Tolerance practice has been denounced. Representatives of the Trump administration continue to express the need for law enforcement and border security.

Featured Image via: Flickr/Gage Skidmore