The Separation of Families at The Border And Why It Should Make Every Person Cringe Who Cares About Families

           

Whether you stand with Trump or against him, the separation of immigrant children from their parents should shake you enough to stop and think whether this is really the right thing or not. It is horrendous to even think about separating families when they are at such stressful state already in trying to cross the border. These families are escaping terrible lifestyles where they cannot control. This may include violence in their own country, corrupted governments, or severe poverty where the system has failed to support them so success can only be found by moving. Yes, it is against the law to cross the border illegally, but reconsider that this is a matter over regulation than over is someone has done act morally wrong. It is like we are giving a damning criminal prosecution to a civil crime, because we are by creating trauma that leads to strong emotional damages for many innocent children.

            What exactly is this policy that is capturing headlines and how is it different from previous policies, this is what we will discuss. Kaitlyn Schallhorn of Fox news reiterates what many are saying that, “The Trump administration isn’t the first to separate adults and children at the border – but it did up the ante with the “zero-tolerance” policy, what the Justice Department called a “new” plan to curtail illegal immigration in April.” Policies before were kinder such as under the Bush administration where families and minors were exempt from the usual process where they were persecuted and then deported. Accordingly, during Obama’s time in respect to keeping families together they were let go and but were to report to a court hearing. No doubt each presidency had some form of separating families but what makes this dangerous is that separation is occurring at a mass scale. Roughly over 2,000 migrant children have been separated from their parents within 6 six weeks. Gordon Lynch, professor of modern theology at Kent University, expands upon the red flags saying, “Compared to historical welfare interventions, this US policy also lacked any moral claim that the separations were for the good of the child. It functioned simply as a punitive measure against immigration, ignoring evidence of the traumatic effects of separation from parents for children.” We need to reconsider exactly what it is that we are trying to accomplish here and ask ourselves if this is really the way America should lead the country. By continuing to ignore these issues we are causing unpredictable harm to children that was easily preventable.   

            Some of the harshest commentary we hear about migrants is that they are criminals, disrupt peace, and are bound to only cause chaos if we allow them in. Ultimately if we feel this way it is because of our countries treatment towards them that have caused them to act in such a way. Like refugees who face trauma that usually comes from war that separates families, some of the effects as listed by The National Child Traumatic Stress Network are, “trouble managing behavior of emotions, trouble paying attention, avoiding thinking or talking about anything that reminds him or her of the traumatic event.” These side effects may not seem severe, but we know that they are the start to depression, anxiety, anti-social behaviors that are more likely to lead them into criminal activities. Now, I don’t this is an excuse to any criminal act, but rather if we are ignorant to our actions, we are nurturing hate, confusion, and un-unified society who aims to gain power over another than to effectively work together.

            We are not just separating families to teach migrants a lesson about trying to cross the border illegally, we are saying they are worthless as the circumstances they come from, we are saying it’s okay to dehumanize them as we rip mother from child, and that we are a country willing to do cruel and unnecessary acts to keep our power maintained.