Today’s executive order comes in response to mass condemnation for the Trump administration’s harsh policy of separating children from their parents at the Southern border.
While the order reverses the administration’s decision to separate families, it does nothing to address the actual crisis on the border. Instead the administration exchanges a bad policy for another bad policy, family detention. Today’s order continues the prosecution and detainment of migrant families escaping extreme violence in the Northern Triangle.
Detention has been proven to be costly and ineffective in deterring migration. Focusing on enforcement is a misguided approach that puts children in harm’s way and ignores the need to address the root causes of the violence in the countries that these families are fleeing.
First Focus Campaign for Children opposed family detention under the Obama administration and will continue to oppose this cruel practice that causes additional trauma to children and families.