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22nd June 2018
01:07pm BST

Just as shocking and repulsive as such behaviour is the deplorable defence it garners. It is everyone else's fault but that of Trump or his neo-fascist regime. 'Serves them right' and 'they had it coming' are common refrains from heartless folk who look at the poor and desperate and see sub-human scum. Such hardline attitudes towards migrants certainly don't excuse the fact that proven asylum seekers have also been separated from their loved ones.
Trump himself continues to spread lies about how it is the Democrats who forced him to sever families, and that the policy was utterly irreversible (shortly after reversing it under duress). For the record, the recent family separation tactic is a direct result of the current administration's 'zero tolerance policy', not a previous administration's law.
Such misinformation is intended to deflect, distract and distort the worldwide outrage at how the US are behaving and what they have become. Images of toddlers bawling beside their soon-to-be removed mothers, scores of children caged behind wire-mesh fences, and confused kids wearing assigned numbers are not only chilling for what they are, but also what they recall from history. If now is not the time to say this is gross, terrifying, and inhumane, then when is?
Perhaps those defending Trump take pleasure in the fact that a 10-year-old girl with Downs syndrome was one of thousands of children separated from their parents; maybe they "actually enjoy seeing those pictures at the border" like White House senior adviser Stephen Miller. It's hard to tell, seeing as their arguments see-saw so often. One minute they stress the need to remain 'strong' against the public outcry, then it's the Dems' fault anyway, and the next Trump deserves praise for his u-turn.
Regarding Trump signing an Executive Order to reverse family separation policy, it is simply much too little far too late. You can't erase the trauma or the damage it has done to America's crumbling reputation. And there is no end in sight for those affected. Neither Trump nor his administration has outlined any plans for uniting children already separated from their parents. Over 2,300 of them. Confusion reigns about where some of these state-kidnapped children actually are.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio was shocked to discover that 239 children were found in just one facility in his city, with the youngest detainee being just nine months old.
https://twitter.com/NYCMayor/status/1009524425782431745
In imploring the federal government to stop the 'broken and inhumane' separation policy, De Blasio highlighted the need for mental health support for removed children. It is something that hasn't been given a second thought by a President who sees these minors and their families as pawns in his political game. So low is his estimation of the American public, that he actually thought ripping babies from their mothers would be a "good cultural war, a kind of victory" in the polls.
He underestimated the innate human kindness of the people, and if he thinks this PR disaster can be forgotten by a scrawl on an Executive Order, he is as stupid as he is callous. This dark chapter in America's history is far from over. Trump is squarely responsible for the deep trauma that his actions have caused thousands of children - children who are still alone, incarcerated and afraid, and at huge risk of being lost to the system as the complicated process of reuniting begins.
https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1009823293032095745
He stressed the lasting psychological impact of losing one's parents for any significant amount of time, and how it can lead to serious developmental issues and a fundamental loss of hope. When asked how long it will take to recover from such a trauma his answer was stark: "The damage that will be done will last a lifetime."
What has been done in recent weeks, by order of President Trump and his heartless administration, can never be undone. Childhoods and lifetimes are ruined. And anyone who counters with a glib, 'Well rules are rules', can fuck right off.Explore more on these topics:

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