Trump admin ran 'pilot program' for separating migrant families in 2017

[DonViejo]

Source: NBC News


The numbers show the government was separating migrant kids from their parents back in 2016 and 2017.

by Lisa Riordan Seville and Hannah Rappleye / Jun.29.2018 / 4:30 AM ET

EL PASO, Texas — The government was separating migrant parents from their kids for months prior to the official introduction of zero tolerance, running what a U.S. official called a "pilot program" for widespread prosecutions in Texas, but apparently did not create a clear system for parents to track or reunite with their kids.

Officials have said that at least 2,342 children were separated from their parents after being apprehended crossing the border unlawfully since May 5, when the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy towards migrants went into effect.

But numbers provided to NBC News by the Department of Homeland Security show that another 1,768 were separated from their parents between October 2016 and February 2018, bringing the total number of separated kids to more than 4,100.

More than 1,000 children were separated between October 2016 and September 2017, and 703 were separated between October 2017 and February 2018, according to DHS.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/immigration-border-crisis/trump-admin-ran-pilot-program-separating-migrant-families-2017-n887616

[LakeVermilion]

1. Two words:

Last edited Fri Jun 29, 2018, 12:37 PM - Edit history (1)

war crime!

[WhiteTara]

6. 3 words. Crimes Against Humanity. nt

[CottonBear]

2. Evil, racist, facist, monsters. n/t

[d_r]

3. this is so important

We don't know how many of those kids separated before Feb. of 2018 have been reunited. We do know that they didn't have a plan for reunification, and we know that one of the families reunited was after 9-months.
We don't know how many kids were separated in March or April 2018.
We do know that 1,700 kids were separated before February, and 2,400 after May. SO THAT IS A TOTAL OF 4,100.
THAT MEANS we don't know how many kids are currently in separation!

Also, it is clear that this was intended to dissuade asylum seekers:

The idea of separating migrant children from their mothers was discussed during the earliest days of the administration as a way to deter asylum-seekers, according to notes from an asylum officers' meeting.

At a town hall for Citizenship and Immigration Services asylum officers on Feb. 2, 2017, the agency's asylum chief, John Lafferty, told officers they might have to "hold mothers longer" and "hold children in HHR/ORR," an acronym for childrens' facilities run by HHS.

The next month, then-Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly told CNN he was considering separating families caught crossing the border "to deter more movement along this terribly dangerous network."

[Rebl2]

4. If this was started

in October 2016, then it started under Obama. Did he okay that? Very disappointed if he knew this and didn’t stop it.

[potone]

5. Yes, that is disturbing.

But I really can't imagine that he would have initiated or agreed with such a policy.