Trump under attack over ‘cruel’ separation of immigrant families

WASHINGTON: Human rights groups planned protests in dozens of cities across the United States Friday against the Trump administration’s policy to separate asylum-seeking Central American immigrant children from their parents.

The White House is drawing accusations of human rights abuse over a policy the government sees as a necessary deterrent to illegal immigration, but the critics say is cruel to migrants fleeing violence in Central America.

“These families are not trying to sneak in, they’re coming to the borders, presenting themselves, and asking for our help,” said California Congressman Jimmy Gomez at a rally Thursday in Los Angeles.

“There is nothing illegal about coming to our border and asking for asylum.” The backlash has placed President Donald Trump, who has promised to halt illegal immigration, on the defensive. He blames the previous administration of president Barack Obama for the separation policy, as well as Democrats in Congress, despite the Republicans’ majority.

“Separating families is more than cruel and unnecessary — it’s torture,” said the American Civil Liberties Union, which has sued to stop the practice.

Trump’s own daughter Ivanka was blasted across social media last week when she posted a photograph of herself with her son in her arms. Critics labeled her insensitive to the experiences of immigrant mothers. “It must be nice you get to hug your child. What about the numerous children that were torn from their mothers’ arms?” said one Twitter commentator @whiskyogi.

The policy aims to stem a surge of poor families mostly from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras pouring into the United States.

Citing the daily violence in their home countries, thousands each week cross the US-Mexico border and immediately turn themselves in to authorities asking for asylum. They are part of a broader rebound in illegal immigration that has deeply angered Trump. In April alone, 50,924 people were detained after crossing the border without papers, including 4,314 unaccompanied children and 9,647 family units, according to the US Customs and Border Patrol.

With detention centers and the court system already overwhelmed, the Obama presidency processed asylum requests and released the applicant families together into the country while they awaited adjudication, which can take more than one year.