Daily Times

Welcome to Donald Trump’s America. Where putting his countrymen first has resulted in the suffering of children.

The current crisis was officially rubberstamped last month when the US Attorney General introduced a new zero policy aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration into the country. Though this was given a dry run of sorts in a six-week-period that began before but overlapped with the new directives. And it is one that saw close to 2,000 children forcibly removed from parents; with more than 100 falling below the age of four.

Under the new procedures, anyone entering the country without the proper documentation and who is travelling with a minor is liable to be prosecuted for “child smuggling”. Even if individuals or families are accompanied by their own offspring. As per American law, this results in children being separated from custodians; on the grounds that “illegals” are to be treated as presumed criminals and therefore rendered inappropriate guardians of minors. The US media has been awash with reports of children being detained in metal cages. Their best hope is being placed in foster care — that is, is, living with complete strangers — while family members or legal custodians can expect to face a prison stretch of around 20 years.

No other nation or bloc of nations sanctions child separation; not even Fortress Europe. It seems almost redundant to say that this is alarming and must be ended. And the responsibility for this rests on the shoulders of the entire international community that is so fond of paying lip service to the rights of the child. But does nothing as American drones and NATO bombs continue to kill children in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen. Yet to challenge this requires much of the world, including global institutions such as the United Nations, to rise like lions from slumber and counter the global war machine.

This will also necessitate an honest review of what fuels global inequality and violence. Which is another way of calling for introspection when it comes to the US’ part in driving the global capitalist system that corporatises access to resources as well as modern warfare. For in its absence, what remains is this: the world’s most powerful nation effectively criminalising those who flee persecution or abject poverty or the raining down of bullets and bombs that decimate society after society in far-flung lands. And telling them that ‘the wretched of the earth’ must refrain from crossing over to a recognised port of entry to file an official asylum claim. Or else, returning asylum seekers to countries where torture or killing likely awaits them. Never mind that legal experts and human rights defenders alike term this practice a violation of international humanitarian law.

We therefore hope that Congress does the needful when it comes to voting on the recently released Republican-drafted bill that seeks to do away with the policy of child separation. For no child should have to endure this. Anywhere in the world.  *

Published in Daily Times, June 19^th 2018.