by Madi VanWyngarden | July 17, 2018 12:44 pm
President Trump has been in office for a year and a half now, and the past 19 months have been a whirlwind of scandals, absurd tweets, and political missteps. This last week has been no exception, yet Republicans now find themselves more divided than ever before.
A hallmark of Trump’s platform has been his desire for more strict immigration laws along the southern border. Hoping to deter illegal entry to the United States, Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions introduced a “zero-tolerance policy.” As this new policy went into effect, the world erupted into protest after finding out that this meant children were being separated from their parents.
This policy stated that any person coming into the country illegally would be sent to federal prison rather than an immigration detention center. The problem with this is that children cannot be housed with their parents in a federal jail. They are instead being sent into government custody or foster care while their parents await trial.
The problems in this system are obvious and overwhelming. Children should not be ripped from their parents who are seeking a new life. This is traumatizing for children and parents and is shown to have long-lasting psychological effects. Additionally, with midterms approaching and a presidential election in only two years this could be dangerous for President Trump and Republicans up for re-election.
Trump experienced an incredible backlash soon after the family separations began. Just a week ago 50,000 people marched on the capitol demanding better treatment for immigrant families. Sister protests happened in cities all across the country including New York, Los Angeles, and in cities near the border itself.
These have not been the only marches in protest of presidential policy in the last two years; it is obvious that many Americans are upset. They are distressed and disheartened that American policies are taking a step backward. If Trump’s constituents are unhappy, then in two more years Trump may find himself out of a job.
Even members of his own party are trying to distance themselves from this inhumane policy. The Republican party was built on tradition and family values, therefore these actions aren’t making Republicans look good. Even Trump, after seeing the opposition to his own policy, wrote an executive order that allows families to stay in federal jail together. While many commended Trump for this action, it is hard to forget that there are still 2,700 children separated from their parents.
Many people have been angered by much of the Trump administration’s conduct, however, we appear to have found an issue that, no matter which side of the political spectrum you are on, can agree is wrong. After all, it can be hard to stand on the side of a man who is taking children from their mothers in the name of America.
Source URL: https://antler.express/812/opinion/collateral-damage/
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