Some of the comments here are breathtakingly untrue. That doesn't stop at least one of them getting over fifty recommendations, despite the fact that it is blatantly wrong in law about the criminal penalties for illegal entrants under 8 US Code § 1325 see below).
Fake news and misleading commentary relies upon false assumptions, often including fake assumptions about what the law says. All NYT articles need, therefore, to include links to the relevant statutory law on the Cornell Law website. I appreciate that most folks still won't bother to follow the link and read the law but it would be a start.
8 US Code § 1325 - Improper entry by alien
(a) Improper time or place; avoidance of examination or inspection; misrepresentation and concealment of facts
Any alien who (1) enters or attempts to enter the United States at any time or place other than as designated by immigration officers, or (2) eludes examination or inspection by immigration officers, or (3) attempts to enter or obtains entry to the United States by a willfully false or misleading representation or the willful concealment of a material fact, shall, for the first commission of any such offense, be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than 6 months, or both, and, for a subsequent commission of any such offense, be fined under title 18, or imprisoned not more than 2 years, or both.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1325
5
As bad as Trump is and as bad as he is making America, I would think good liberals would load up the family Prius and escape to El Salvador. Maybe give a ride to some returning hombres.
.
Consider what Latin America has to offer, the modern, North American sophisticate. Any country you pick, will be rich with diversity. Your nutritional needs and whims will met by locally grown, organic fare. The hustle and bustle of the American metropolis, with it's pollution, traffic and crime, will give way to a more pedestrian pace. And, if there were only one reason to go; every country has strict, like the strictest, gun control laws. No Ar15s strutting around under a MAGA ball cap.
.
Why are these people leaving?
6
The NYT can blame Trump all they want about the "evil" immigration laws but it is Congress that makes the law. When Trump tries to compromise with the Democrats on the Dreamers who went AWOL? The Democrats. By the way, Border Patrol during the Obama administration also separated children from families and I didn't see any outrage from NYT then.
3
Until every U.S. citizen, especially those inner city blacks, native Americans and poor whites, wants for nothing, we should deny these people entry and send them back where they came from. Do it enough and they'll stop showing up at the border. U.S. taxpayer dollars for U.S. citizens only.
8
Oh please, spare the ridiculous asinine logic. Why not seek refuge in Mexico? Why the USA? This tactic, is just like what the Palestinians use when they send their children into harms way just to protest when they get injured. Mr. Deceiver Kristof would have us believe that all immigrants are refugees of violence. Well, many of these so called refugees are committing abhorrent evil acts of violence in our neighborhoods on a regular basis - what about that? Build the wall, protect the border and preserve our culture and traditions from annihilation. Let these people, most of whom are wonderful, fight for a better country where they live with our help. Send the DACA people back to their countries with the benefit of an American education so that they can make their native communities better and more democratic and fair. This leftist open border policy is nothing more than a blatant attempt to destroy our country and culture, to break us into tribes of people without any common culture to bind us together with the ultimate goal of a EU type totalitarian government worldwide. No, I will fight against that at all cost and you can call me all the names you want. Racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic, homophobic, blah, blah blah blah. The gig is up. Trump won because we have had enough of the destruction of our rights, freedoms, culture and self-reliant way of life. We will fight against this sinister global movement that only seeks to divide and then enslave us.
7
"Or East German-style marksmen in watch towers to shoot those who cross?"
Poor metaphor. The E. Germans were trying to keep their own people in, not foreigners out. But I guess when you're in an agreeably intense moral dudgeon, it doesn't matter.
4
Don't come here illegally is the answer and now Salvador residents need asylum? stay in Salvador and fix its problems. There's many people here living in dangerous areas too where can they go?. Anybody that wants should/can try to adopt the Salvador refugees. How many illegals do we have now 20 million? how many is enough for far left wing Kristof?.
6
Another tear-jerker by Kristoff.
7
If separating children from parents is so evil then why dont we put children in prison with their parents? Or maybe just not incarcerate people at all if they have kids because it would be evil to separate them from their parents?
I think there are like 500,000 foster kids in this country, many of them taken from parents who are in jail or prison.
I think it's fair to apply the same laws that apply to citizens to people who want to enter this country.
2
What does Nicholas Kristof believe immigration policy should be? Does he believe nations have a right to borders and to regulate immigration? Does he believe any person in fear of gangs in El Salvador who makes it to our borders must be admitted? Does he think Mexico has any responsibility to admit refugees from El Salvador? Does he believe a person who has reached safety in Mexico can still claim fear of persecution to be admitted to this country? Is he willing to put any number on the number of refugees from El Salvador he would admit?
6
Is this what we really have become ? It is absolutely shameful, and disgusting. I am embarrassed, and ashamed to be living in this country that can do this to parents, and children. Are these people who whisk these children awayparents themselves ? Is John Kelly, who went through a parent's worst nightmare of losing a child unable to understand what rhese parents are going through.
I imagine someday when these evil individuals who enabled this policy are held accountable, their response will be "We were only following orders" Where have I heard this before ?
8
Where are all the "pro-family" evangelicals in all this. Have Franklin Graham, Fall well jr, and their ilk no compassion for these the least of their brethren?
9
I wasnt aware that if I was was arrested for a crime I would somehow be allowed to bring my kids to jail with me and make sure they are with me at all times during my stay in prison.
I guess illegal immigrants have even more rights than citizens do now.
It seems that many Central Americand started to bring their children with them on dangerous and deadly journeys because under Obama it would mean they would be released from custody and told to return for their hearing. They could then take their kids and go wherever they liked and never show up to the hearing at all.
Well that policy no longer exists. Crossing the border is a misdemeanor. Recrossing it is a felony. A DUI is also a misdemeanor. When I, a citizen of the United States, was arrested for a DUI I was not allowed to bring my children with me for my 21 days of jail. If I had kids they would have been taken away and put up with family or foster care. That's exactly what is happening here.
If you want open borders, then making illegal crossing not illegal. As long as it's a crime though I think its unfair that illegal immigrants would presume to be able to keep their kids with them while citizens do not have that right.
6
See my question is if these people are fleeing gang violence, why is America a safe country? Shouldn't they be traveling to Canada or Europe or somewhere that isnt infested with gang violence and guns. Liberal commenters are always talking about how horrible gun violence is...how is our murderous gang filled nation a legitimate safe place for a person who says they are fleeing gang violence?
If they truly believe MS-13 is out to kill them, how can they say they are safe in a nation that has MS-13 in every major city?
Also didnt they pay the deadly gangs that are supposedly out to murder them to transport them through Mexico and to the United States?
I just think that if you are really fleeing gang violence you probably shouldn't stop here...and the fact that gangs are the ones bringing these people to America kind of negates the argument that they are fleeing gang violence. It seems like gangs are directly profiting off of bringing these people to America.
How can you be fleeing the people you are paying to transport you to America?
5
I truly don't understand why the Progressive Left doesn't understand why the opposition to DACA and the entire illegal immigration situation is so difficult for them.
Look....if a majority of Americans, at least the legal voting Americans, really wanted all these illegals to remain, then the laws would be easy to change. We Don't....it's that simple.
The law of the land is that they need to depart, and I for one do not care how many "Academy Award Winning" situations are brought up about how wonderful this or that illegal is, they are ILLEGAL.
9
Taking babies from their mother's arms? I don't believe it. This is fake news.
If it were true, the Democrat leaders would be shouting it from the rooftops and I've not heard much from them about anything.
4
America can do much better with our immigration policies. What is going on with the president's and Attorney General Sessions current immigration policy is immoral and unusually cruel.
To separate parents from children when immigrants are fleeing unsafe situations and looking for asylum here is completely unacceptable. It is also equally as cruel to separate illegal immigrants from their children.
This soul of our country is at stake and we should all reach out to our representatives in congress to strongly protest these inhumane policies.
7
Who is forcing these people to come into our country? Oh yeah, no one but themselves. Sovereign nations have borders and laws. If they are so offended, seek asylum in another country.
5
Nothing in the news of late has made me feel such despair as the stories about the truly evil Trump/Miller/Kelly/Nielsen policy of tearing children, including infants, from the arms of their parents for committing the heinous crime of seeking refuge in America. When I work on campaigns to retake our government this fall, this issue will be one of the linchipins of my arguments. The sooner we rid our country of this tyrant and his despicable minions the faster we can regain our place as a moral nation.
10
If you are going to turn them away, which is cruel and evil enough on its own, then turn them away with their children. A mother and baby or small child deliberately separated for 8 months is something so unconscionable that I can't wrap my mind around it. This is not who we are. Trump is no American, and no American president.
This is the most evil practice I have ever heard of and HHS Secretary Nielsen is as big a disgrace as Trump and Sessions and she may not be a mother but as a woman, and possibly future mother, she should know these actions are evil.
Trump has no heart or soul and is an empty shell. Sessions should take a trip to the border to see what his policy is doing to people. Whether they are Americans, refugees seeking asylum legally or illegally, what they all have in common with all of us is that they are people deserving respect, and desperation is driving them here just as so many came to our shores before them seeking shelter, a new home, a new beginning and asylum.
Trump is all about man's inhumanity to man, just read just one of his daily tweets daily containing nothing but hatred and vitriol for others.
7
If these were truly "refugees", they'd be seeking asylum IN MEXICO, rather than dragging their kids across Mexico to the US. The Obama administration also established a program in Central America for refugees to apply for that status before coming to the US. But isn't it odd that these "refugees" are coming mainly from three Central American countries, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, countries which have come to rely heavily on remittances from their citizens in the US?
2
Trump and Sessions were apparently briefed on Jonathan Swift's, "A Modest Proposal" and missed that part about it being satirical.
If you are not familiar with this work, per 'Wikipedia:
A Modest Proposal For preventing the Children of Poor People From being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and For making them Beneficial to the Publick,[1] commonly referred to as A Modest Proposal, is a Juvenalian satirical essay written and published anonymously by Jonathan Swift in 1729. The essay suggests that the impoverished Irish might ease their economic troubles by selling their children as food for rich gentlemen and ladies. This satirical hyperbole mocked heartless attitudes towards the poor, as well as British policy toward the Irish in general. The primary target of Swift's satire was the rationalism of modern economics, and the growth of rationalistic modes of thinking in modern life at the expense of more traditional human values.
Yawn.
When you resort to the word "evil" here, and you didn't use that *once* during the Obama administration, you lose all kinds of credibility. People just stop paying attention.
6
Sure, blame the President instead of the mother. She could have stayed in Mexico with her children. She used her kids as a gateway to America.
And why didn't Obama pass immigration reform whenever he had a supermajority in both the House and the Senate? Because the Democrats want this to be a permanent "wedge issue".
4
Abhorrent AND evil. That is what I call a man who is elected on a promise to pass immigration reform and renegotiate Nafta and does neither! Evil is lying to the middle class about health reform and socking them with increased premiums and deductibles and out of pocket costs. Evil is encouraging tens of thousands of people to send their children with smugglers on a dangerous journey to America to join an illegal family member. Evil is taking 100 days vacation with billionaires because a vacation was needed! Trying to stop this is NOT evil. It is trying to save America for Americans. This is why Trump was elected. It is you who horrify me who think America is responsible for the poor and sick and oppressed throughout the entire planet. As an aside, I never met an illegal immigrant who wasn't a liar, a cheaton the taxpayers.
2
In light of what is happening with children of immigrants seeking asylum at the hands of the US government, our sympathy for Rohingya refugees and our criticism of countries refusing to support Rohingyas sounds hollow.
4
AG Sessions and Chief of Staff Kelly have openly said the policy of separating children from immigrant mothers is punitive, to intimidate women from crossing the border with their children. The 14th Amendment due process of law clause applies to persons, not just citizens. I hope the courts block it. Someone should take it to the United Nations Human Rights Council to embarrass the United States for its Trump Presidency. Taking a mother's child away for months is psychological torment and a moral atrocity. Mothers from Central America are fleeing failed states where their children are at risk of being killed by gang violence. The only way to disuade them is for the United States to commit a more dire act of state terrorism.
7
Today's print edition features a photo of President Trump and Ivanka Trump watching healthy, happy children participate in a running race as part of the President's 'Fitness Day.'
How dare the Trumps blithely present themselves as people who care about children. Anyone who condonesa policy that forcibly separates children from their parents as a 'deterrence' to enforce immigration policy, thereby inflicting severe trauma on children as young as toddlers, does not care about children. The callous disregard for these powerless children by Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump, John Kelly and Secretary Nielsen is unforgivable.
6
I don't understand. These women simply requested asylum, and their children were taken from them? They did not cross the border illegally?
If so, isn't that unlawful kidnapping by the United States? That is, you and me?
Every day I think it can't get worse, and it does.
7
Kristof does not believe that birth control or abortions are not needed in third world countries. Where did you get that idea?
3
What part of illegal you do not understand?The world is full of bad places and we are not able to save all their inhabitants.Leaky borders and asylum seekers who are already in safe Mexico do not merit automatic admission.
4
Migrant children whose parents are arrested and incarcerated for crossing the border illegally are treated similarly to U.S. children whose parents are arrested and incarcerated. Once their parents are arrested, migrant children no longer have a parent or guardian to care for them. Their status changes from accompanied children to unaccompanied children. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 requires the Homeland Security Department to transfer them to Department of Health and Human Services. By law, HHS must provide for the custody and care of unaccompanied children, defined as a child who has no lawful immigration status in the United States; has not attained 18 years of age; and, with respect to whom, there is no parent or legal guardian in the United States, or no parent or legal guardian in the United States available to provide care and physical custody. The children remain under HHS custody for an average of 34 days. The overwhelming majority are released to sponsors who are family members while the remainder are placed in foster home.
7
We have indeed reached a point of evil, and we can use it to pivot. Let us establish an American Nuremberg Project. This Project must be institutionalized, because evil is being woven into our nation's very fabric, and removing it will require more than words and marches. The Project will require us to document the transgressions against humanity and nature not just in great reporting and columns like Kristof's but also in great photojournalism that will identify the ICE agents who are separating children from parents, for instance, or faceless officials who are erasing science from health and environmental protection agencies that can keep us from harm. In short, "just following orders" is no longer an excuse. Those leading this wave of evil are well known and--at least for now--we have the tools to deal with them. We can place the American Nuremberg Project with an international agency such as the United Nations, although I believe it should remain within our borders. We Americans have created this evil. We are complicit.
5
I’m beginning to believe that it may be too late. One article in the Times the other day about that fellow that was trying to redo Brexit suggested Marshall plan for Africa to help take the pressure off of Europe . The same could be argued for central America. Do the rich countries have the wherewithal to come up with the cash? Again I must say I think it’s too late.
3
Mexico's one of the richest countries in the world, #15 in GDP, and has sent more than half of our illegal aliens. It's also one of the most CORRUPT countries in the world, 135 out of 180, according to Transparency International. As long as nothing is done about corruption FIRST, then throwing money at these countries is literally throwing it into the Swiss bank accounts of these corrupt elites.
5
Immigration to the United States under the current circumstances is not for the faint of heart. Many current immigrants are aware of the Trump administration toxic discourse about immigration, the worst in a generation, especially those who cross the border illegally. Most of these immigrants could never get a legal visa (we have strict policies) so there is no incentive to try to do it legally.
Yet, they come because mostly they have to. Poverty, violence, and drug gangs affect many poor in Mexico and Central America; bad as it is at the border, it is the best chance for many.
I have a proposal. Mexico and Central American countries could stop people from leaving. We could stop the guns going south that support so much violence and drug trafficking. Fair's fair.
7
What I find despicable is using one's children to gain access to a country, especially when one is (a) highly likely to be an economic immigrant and (b) highly unlikely to show up for one's hearing. Hopefully, Trump's strict enforcement of immigration laws will act as a deterrent to those who have been able to enter our country through an open back door. As for separating children from their parents, Trump's actions pale in comparison to the Obama Administration's actions, which led to tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors flooding our borders. Talk about separating families!
14
When Trump promised "to re-examine the US policy outlawing torture", did anyone in their right mind think he meant to apply it to the prevention of parents seeking asylum and bringing their children with them?
3
We have a federal government that embraces bullying. This is just another manifestation of it. I was taught by my very conservative parents that bullying those under your power is the act of a coward and a weakling. Arpaiolike, if you will.
As for your last two paragraphs, don't give the reprehensibles any ideas.
Resist, and, oh yeah, be best.
5
I hope the ACLU takes them to court and they are reamed by the courts. These children should not be psychologically damaged because of the hideous people in this administration. One would wish this on their families to instill in them a sense of empathy but it is probably futile.
3
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
.
Trumpism is treason...call it out.
4
Perhaps John Kelly should be fired, imprisoned, or whatever.
1
Mean-spirited is exactly what Trump and his administration are!
6
Trump used pictures of children killed in gas attacks in Syria to justify airstrikes and show his military might to his base. While on Air Force One bound for Mar-a-Lago shortly before the attack, he spoke about the "beautiful babies who were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack...No child of God should ever suffer such horror.” Reporters gushed about this first show of empathy by the president as if his 'crocodile tears' were a breakthrough in his compassionate nature.
On newscaster commented that: "The images had a profound effect on the US president." So profound that he continued to shut the door on Syrian refugees along with his list of other banned Muslim countries? So profound that when it comes to Syrian civilians — particularly those seeking refuge in the US, Oxfam estimates 44 Syrians have been admitted since October 2017.
How can we expect that this callous and heartless man in the White House will care about separating our Central American families and their children? He has to fulfill that anti-immigrant fear of the other at every possible depraved level.
There is a poignant photo of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with a 'real' tear as he hugs a young Syrian refugee child at the airport; Canada has resettled 40,000 Syrian refugees since 2015. There was a contrasting photo of Ivanka last week holding her child as she debarked from a plane. Maybe Trump can visualize his grandchildren being taken away on Air Force One to destinations unknown?
6
I cannot shake the images in my mind of children being separated from their parents as they arrived at Auschwitz. I ask the same question. Is this who we really are?
9
They should be advised to apply to Mexico for help considering they have been in that country for days. or longer. We are not the welfare country for the rest of the world.
11
When we as a country makes a decision to do something this morally repugnant, so clearly a 'Sophie's Choice', the threat MUST be extreme, unambiguous, and immediate.
But it is not - all of us, including the border guards and our leaders - know that there is no threat.
They are doing it because they can, because they have been given license to inflict the most extreme cruelty possible upon vulnerable women and children, and
. . . because they enjoy doing just that.
They enjoy the adrenaline rush of being allowed to be this purely evil and heartless, to do something so completely outside the constraints of normal human behavior, with absolutely no consequences.
They enjoy that thrill of perfect arrogant self-justified power to inflict extreme pain on brown-skinned women and children, the incredible rush of watching them suffer and cry, while they are rewarded as patriots.
Our leaders and the border guards like doing this - that is the primary reason they do it. This has all the power-filled climax of rape and child abuse, the self-righteous superiority, without being against the law.
This is fun, they like it, and they do it because they can.
As far as I know, there have been absolutely no cases of poor Guatemalan women with babies carrying AR15's into American schools and killing our kids.
We need a great deal more honesty about where our country's actual threats are.
They are us.
5
"If you or I commit a misdemeanor, we might lose our kids for a few days while we’re in jail, and then we’d get them back."
We're white. Not even that would happen to us.
3
I'm white and I went to jail for 21 days for a first time DUI offense with no crash or injury to anyone. The reason, I was too poor to pay for the for profit probation industry in this country.
O man I wish I had my white priviledge card with my when the DA was telling me I could either plead guilty to a DUI or go to trial on felony reckless driving charges as well as like 8 other offenses they decided to charge me with.
4
If I have to choose between this policy and the de facto open border policy which seems be the Democratic party's current position I will take the administration's current harsh policy. And so will enough Americans to keep the house and the senate in Republican hands in 2018. Somehow in last ten years even discussing legal verses illegal immigration has become racist on the left. And that is a losing strategy.
9
Most polling indicates that health care is the most important issue on peoples' minds going into the election. In the most recent Ipsos/Reuters poll, the second ranked issue was "morality" followed by the economy. Immigration was tagged by 15% of Republicans but only 9% of registered voters. From my recollection immigration has run around the 10% figure for quite some time now. Twice as many people chose health care in this poll.
https://www.slideshare.net/IpsosPublicAffairs/reutersipsos-data-core-pol...
Immigration will not be the issue on which the November election is fought. It might matter in specific districts, but not nationally.
Keep it up. I hope every prospective immigrant south of the border reads this article and stays away.
7
This policy makes me physically ill. Our collective silence as a people is deafening.
5
Thank you for calling it what it is: evil. Kelly and Nielsen are as bad as Trump. Vile people with power--and an inability to think beyond their own limited and privileged experience.
5
Hopefully the developing world will get its act together and embrace sustainable family planning and government transparency and accountability.
4
What is the immigration law Mr. Kristof proposes?
Is it that every single person who manages to reach a U.S. Border is automatically admitted except convicted violent felons?
Can Putin send his entire extended family here, claiming that was his deal with Trump?
Must we admit the entire populations of Oslo, which seems to be favored by Trump demographically, plus everyone in Mozambique plus El Salvador?
If there is a single group of people not currently living in the U.S. who Mr. Kristof's law provides are not eligible for entry will he turn them away, even if they are people with children? Or, is the law to be optional?
It's easy to criticize President Trump on immigration, or even President Obama, who the pictures say put migrant kids in cages, but I'd just like Mr. Kristof to write a comprehensive immigration law, write an ode to its virtues, and then tell us whether it is to be a law or just an optional guide.
Let's all wait for the proposal and the supporting articles.
11
We cannot claim to be the greatest country in the world if we do this. We have no right to that title if this is how we behave.
2
My heart is broken from the actions of this administration. Everything is bad, but how they are treating immigrants and refugees shows how soulless they are. What they are doing is evil and it is destroying the fabric of our nation on all levels. It must be stopped before it is too late and I fear it may already be. I'm trying really hard not give up hope, but be honest it is becoming very difficult to even breathe.
3
You always know when someone like Kristof has run out of logical or legal arguments: the trot out the children. Nothing plays on our emotions like these horrible anecdotal stories of children being "ripped" from their parents.
But the fact is that the actual implementation of border control policies between the Obama and Trump administrations is de minimis; Trump is simply assigning more agents and getting lots more media coverage. If you want to put blame somewhere, put it where it belongs: squarely on Congress. They make the laws and the President and his administration are simply enforcing them. Don't like it? Get the laws changed.
But the ugly reality is that right now the Democrats have no interest in a solution that would result in better treatment to these sad individuals, to the DACA kids or any other immigrant groups. They'd rather have the photo ops and the tales of woe as a political issue for upcoming elections. So they cry and they whine but nothing gets done.
These poor souls are just pawns in a cynical political game.
11
I never realized how cruel my country is until this presidency. I thought we were better than this. I was wrong.
4
I wonder if you'd consider whether a wish to stay alive and hand over your societal benefits to your children is still acceptable in liberal Western thought. One of the very nicest people I know, someone who actually spent their life benefiting people, not just talking about it, came home from work at her neonatal ICU unit in this small, isolated Arizona city and said "what a red letter day. Every one of my mothers spoke English". Please, oh please Mr. Kristof, develop some sense that we can't take on all the world's population and maintain our own life style.
7
Don't forget the administration alone cannot do this evil thing. Forty percent of Americans approve of what tRump and his thugs are doing. It's that approval that makes this sort of thing possible. Talk to your neighbors, talk in your houses of worship, help them understand why this is not who we want to be. At least I pray that this is not who we want to be, but I'm no longer sure.
3
My neighbors, members of my congregation and most of my friends love immigrants who come here legally and welcome them with open arms. However, we are also all pretty much agreed that immigration laws must be enforced because protecting our borders from illegal immigration is important for our country's security. If that takes harsh measures, so be it.
5
In the absence of a hearing, shouldn’t the border agents at least give the adult a choice to turn back with her children? And to advise her that her children will be placed in government care and she will be placed in detention if she seeks to remain.
Giving her this information and choice at the border could prevent some of these tragedies.
Even signs in Spanish, stating the law and the penalties , along border areas might mitigate some of these terrible situations.
These migrants may have been fed a lot of lies and promises by those profiting by getting them to the border and they may not fully understand the seriousness of the situation.
And if they have travelled through Mexico, for example, to reach the US, the migrant should be made to apply for refuge there first with Mexico agreeing to process their refugee claim.
The first entry rules for migrants should probably be revisited for all our North American borders, especially since all the trade deals are up for review as well.
7
We discuss and comment on trump as if he were a normal human being. He's not, and we need to move beyond thinking of him in any normal kind of context. He's been a aberration of humanity for all of his adult life, taking advantage of women, using his own children as marketing tools and publicity props, and not paying people who have families and obligations and who've done work for him. His complete and total downfall will come soon, and there won't be anyone to feel sorry for him. The world and the United States will move on and move forward, and trump will be consigned to the what-were-we-thinking / the-nightmare's-over pages of history.
7
I really wonder why people want to come here. This president has made me want to leave.
8
Under Trump, Americans have become just like our greatest enemy - the ISIS. Cruelty has become our trademark. Humanity. What's that?
5
America, the land of the cruel and selfish.
What is the immigration history of the Trump and Kelly families? And Melania. And the Kushners.
This is not what MY country stands for. We must all vote for candidates in November who will not allow this to continue.
9
Do you think your ferociousness has helped the situation?
3
Do you suggest quiet submissiveness? I say get more ferocious.
2
As was said to Roy Cohn , I say to the president .
" have you no decency , sir"
A white house and a president with no soul
5
Thank you for mentioning Roy Cohn. Are you aware of the fact that Roy Cohn was Donald Trump's mentor in 1970s New York City? Donald could have chosen anybody to be his mentor when he was a young man in 1970s New York--Lionel Trilling, Susan Sontag, John Lindsay, or some other luminary.
But no, he actually sought out and chose Joe McCarthy's ethically bankrupt sleaze-bag lawyer as his mentor. Every American needs to know this fact about Donald Trump.
6
The administration is breaking the law by incarcerating those seeking asylum. Lawsuits aren't nearly fast enough, but I do hope someone is suing them. And, for what it is worth, I will start writing letters today.
4
I just watched the end of "Sophie's Choice," where Sophie has to choose which of her children will die and which will live. I wouldn't be surprised if some "compassionate" Border Patrol officials offers some Central American mother the same choice.
6
Illegal immigration is not a new problem. Paul Ehrlich wrote the Population Bomb in 1968, arguing that population growth would ultimately lead to starvation on planet earth. The Club of Rome published a book in 1972 called Limits to Growth, which argued that many bad things could happen as the population increased, not just starvation. The effects included degradation of the environment which we now know as global warming.
About 30 million died of starvation in Mao's China. So Dang Xiaoping introduced a one-child policy for China in 1979. The population continued to grow because even after one introduced birth control there is time lag before population stabilizes. But India had no one-child policy. And China used its policy to raise living standards for a more slowly growing number of people.
The US did nothing. Many regarded Ehrlich and the Club of Rome as a group of crackpots. But the UN estimates that over 800 million humans suffer from chronic malnutrition.
As population grows streams of refugees flow into the US and Europe. But resources are finite. Even though the refugees have a minor impact on population growth in their own countries, they lower average living standards in countries like Italy and Great Britain.
And the US. What is abhorrent or evil is that Nicholas Kristof continues to believe that resources are unlimited. That there is no need for birth control and abortions in third world countries.
These beliefs are destroying the world we knew.
8
The fact of the matter here is that more and more resources are going to less and less people, the climate is changing, people can't live in certain countries and are now migrating to others.
We are comfortable here in the United States, we feel bad for these children, want to commit more resources, but if any of the commenters here are asked to give up any of their own, I suspect you'll see quite a change in attitude.
As the world devolves, it will be every man for themselves, we are already gating ourselves in communities and separating ourselves from others. A caste system is slowly but surely being created, it's evident not only here, but around the world.
I'm one of the few that will admit it, but most Americans wouldn't give up the most superfluous luxury to save a single one of these people.
Ugly. Fact.
7
I have to wonder how the members of our GOP Government who hail these unconscionable laws as 'okay' were treated as children themselves Did they not know the comfort of a parents arms, the love of a mother or father when they were scared? If they did, then how in the name of God can they allow this to happen? I would love to see these people go to the borders themselves to work and seize the children, rip them from the arms of their parents and follow them 'wherever' they go. Then they can comfort the parents and children while they are apart. But of course this will never happen. As a mom of 2 now adult children, this is more than I am able to comprehend, it scares me that this is possible in our country. My children are my world and when they were still under my roof, I lived in fear of something happening that would cause us to be separated, (mostly due to ex). The women who appear at the borders must have incredible strength or more belief in our justice system that many of us have. But we all know from the horse's mouth what DT thinks of them right: animals. I feel like we are all stuck in a huge Whack a Mole game except instead of moles we have gavels and piles of injustices and lies pop up and we need to beat them back down before they become accepted fact by those who refuse to see the collusion, lies, stealing, adultery, pay-offs, and other chaos happening in DC. The problem is we don't have enough gavels because DT shut down the manufacturer.
4
It may already be too late. We read this kind of thing and then turn to the next article. Just another day living in the exceptional kingdom!
1
Mr. Kristof: running from gangs is not a reason to seek asylum in another nation, let alone one 1000 miles away (requiring that woman to pass through several safe nations before reaching the US!). We have gangs HERE. We have MS-13 HERE. An illegal alien, with no skills or knowledge of English, is not going to be living a pretty safe suburb, but probably a rough inner city area like East LA or inner-city Chicago or similar. There are gangs in those places. There are clear reasons for refugee asylum -- religious or ethnic persecution, political persecution -- NONE of these exist in this situation. Your argument is basically to let the entire population of El Salvador here -- instead of the 20% that is ALREADY HERE. That is impossible, and we know your real reason isn't refugees, but that you want to tip elections with a vast (grateful) hispanic majority. It won't work, we are on to you.
8
Except that in a small country like El Salvador, gangs are much more pervasive than in an expansive country such as the US. I live in a part of Oregon where gangs are not ruling the roost. There are many immigrants (mostly Latinos) welcomed into this area because of agricultural, tourism, the retired population and the ability or necessity of many families to hire help. Most of the large farms, restaurants, hotels, and nursing homes would cease to operate without them. And one more thing - most Salvadoreños who arrive here aren't quite ready or allowed to vote until they become citizens.
4
I welcome all these people you have in Oregon as long as they have work visa's and are legal.
4
"It is from the Bible that man has learned cruelty, rapine, and murder; for the belief of a cruel God makes a cruel man." — THOMAS PAIN
It's Biblical. Who can argue?
2
Enough already. We are not obligated to increase our population by another hundred million just so Dems can troll for votes from Latinos. Let them stay home and clean up their own societies. Those who come here do so utterly prepared for our society. They don't speak English. They have no job skills or education. They don't belong here. This is not the turn of the century when nearly no one had a high school diploma.
Latino poverty is neither our fault nor our responsibility. Open borders liberalism will lead to defeat.
10
Been to Germany lately? They've welcomed many immigrants and refugees from all over the world - and many without formal educations - and they have one of the most robust economies and inclusive societies in Europe. They found a way to do so in a much smaller country than ours.
4
They have a massive refugee problem. Roving gangs of Syrian men assaulted German women in a square on New Year's Eve a few years ago prompting a crack down. Also, the Germans have no plan to assimilate these people from other countries.
1
This behavior is pure evil. All those who are religious cannot stand by while these sins are committed in our name. We may not be guilty, but we are all responsible. The kids will be "put into foster care or whatever"??? Are people supposed to be happy their kids aren't being murdered here? Perhaps Kelly's kids/grandkids/relatives might be put into foster care or whatever. "Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just...."
5
and no Irish need apply, especially ones with names like Ryan, Kelly, Hannity.
4
Evil.
Thank you for using the "E word" for Trump and his policies. For that is what he is - evil. And that is what his policies are - evil.
If we keep regarding Trump merely as a buffoon, a moron, and a self-centered narcissist, he will triumph. We can no longer afford to pussy-foot around in our assessment of and response to Trump. Sober and decent human beings know evil when they see it. In Trump, we see nothing but evil.
He is evil. He is an evil menace. He must be stopped.
7
No other country let’s in illegal aliens. Not Norway nor Britain, nor Canada, nor France, nor Mexico The list goes on and on. But America suddenly decides to slam the door after sixty years (since Eisenhower’s Operation Wetback) and all of a sudden we’re evil. Thats liberals for you!
9
Exactly and these are the same people that say we can't have the same benefits as other countries like universal healthcare. I wonder why.
4
Chief of Staff John Kelly , what you mean when you said <put into foster care or WHATEVER> sir whatever means what, we are talking children, and them and their parents are not danger for our country, you do not deserve your title sir either your boss , this USA and you people acting like this is a third world country, specially you sir, you are a great disepointment , a general and loves his country, how come you are acting like your moron boss
3
You would have us protect our souls, Mr. Kristof, but in the place Mr. Trump and his minions Mr. Kelly and Ms. Nielsen should have souls there is only an emptiness which, like a astronomical black hole, sucks in and destroys anything which ventures near to it.
Their souls, their hearts and their morality are all forfeit, sacrificed on the altar of the confidence game they play in which they claim to "Make America Great Again" by harming both its citizens and those who would seek our aid in escaping direct threats to their lives and the lives of their children. One cannot say he is pro-life or pro-child on one hand while ripping families asunder with the other.
3
This is all so very discouraging and depressing. I am not surprised by anything trump, his administration and his supporters do anymore. And I am starting to feel helpless and hopeless. Thousands of us protested after students were murdered in Florida. People continue to be murdered whether it be in public schools, on the streets or by police. And it goes on and on. Our environment, our parks and our schools are being gleefully destroyed by this administration. I am very angry at the trump supporters who have put us in this precarious and evil place, and contunue to keep us there. Not only do most in Congress go along, so do most Christian evangelists and many others. I fear evil is winning.
3
Evil. This is the first time I've seen a major columnist describe Trump Administration policy as "evil" -- and I think it's warranted. I imagine Mr. Kristof chose the word only after long consideration. I've hesitated to use the word "evil" in connection with the Administration, whether in conversation or on Facebook, opting instead for words like destructive, damaging, anti-democracy, deceitful, uncharitable, misguided. But the cumulative effect of all these policies is horrible -- and words like "evil" are justifiable.
3
he who hesitates is lost.
Tears roll down my cheeks. My heart breaks every day upon hearing of the atrocities committed by the present administration. What have we become? What has become of the Republican legislators? How do they stand by and permit this behavior. Where is Ryan, a Catholic and a father?
3
What continues to shock me is how much worse this hateful, corrupt administration is than I even feared.
Believe me, what I feared was a nightmare.
I am left tongue-tied and broken trying to find words to adequately describe the horror show that is this WH and its enablers.
1
Such cruelty is not a byproduct of Trump's policy: it is the purpose, so Trump can say the is "securing the border" to his ignorant, but vocal followers.
We made him president and a nation gets the government it deserves.
The United States we knew is gone.
1
The appalling reality for all of us is that there is never any accountability for the evil acts of republican office holders. Nationally, they have prospered while mining the depths of hate and depravity to empower only themselves. The first thing is to remove them all from any position of authority. Period. We must then figure out how to design the equivalence of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Councils to in fact bring some needed truths to our own society. Then perhaps we can reconcile with this evil, racist hate. No reconciliation without truth. (and don't get me started on the treason).
1
Of course it's evil because Trump is evil personified. Hasn't that become quite clear by now? He doesn't give a wit about anyone but himself and saving his own skin. He wants loyalty from his Attorney General. But not loyalty to enforce and the laws of the land. No, Trump's idea of loyalty is an unfailing loyalty to protect Trump at all costs, including committing perjury. And should you be caught, well, you can be sure Trump will disavow any connection to your potential criminal behavior (just like the Director of the Impossible Mission Force if you recall that classic TV program). Trump will cast you aside in a heartbeat if the going gets rough. Count on it.
And count on Trump to do all within and outside of the law to increase his wealth as the expense of the United States and the American people. With Trump, it's always been about me, myself and I. A 71-year old coot set in his ways is not about to change, especially a mentally challenged imbecile such as Trump. That you can take to the bank.
DD
Manhattan
2
Can we possibly realize how much these children are going to hate us in the future? How much damage will they do? This is how you create a terrorist. If you want to turn them away, then turn them away as an intact family.
2
How abysmally hypocritical of Mr. Kristof to condemn the Trump "separation" of parent and child while accepting ---nay, encouraging --- those parents who have dispatched their children on an unaccompanied journey of thousands dangerous miles.
6
The Trump administration has escalated it's abominable, retrograde behavior to the point of committing serious crimes against humanity. The Trumpists and their complicit, corrupt, colleagues in Congress, are the last people in the world who should be deciding the fate of innocent refugee children. Who will hold them accountable for this outrage? I don't recognize this version of America anymore. This is not my country. We are becoming just another banana republic run by a corrupt dictator; much like the impoverished third world nations these embattled refugees are fleeing from. So much for American exceptionalism. We have proven ourselves to be exceptionally cruel and undeniably stupid but that's about it.
1
How sickened I am to be the citizen of a country whose President gives no heed to the severe emotional damage his policies are causing to totally innocent children (not to mention the emotional agony to the children’s parents) and instead blathers on about how he has been insulted by a TV company. Loathesome.
2
Dear Nick,
There is no bottom to Trump's capacity for misdeeds. That the U$A hasn't run off the rails entirely under his "leadership" amazes me. I respect you for having the mental toughness to keep thinking about him and pointing out his horrid behavior. I personally find it necessary to ignore him in order to protect my mental life from the severe disturbance he inflicts. Keep up the good work. These are probably the most disturbing times you've faced as a journalist, and I admire you for enduring them.
Rick McNally
Watertown MA
2
“the children will be taken care of — put into foster care or whatever.”
Or "whatever"???? Drowned? Starved? Stuffed into some holding cell. WHAT is "whatever" Mr Kelly?
Apply a test: would Mr Kelly apply that "whatever" to his own children?
2
Is doing evil an impeachable offense?
1
It was evident to me a long time ago that, down deep, trump truly is evil. For the adulation of a few he cares not what he does to the many. He does not care if people are harassed, abused, marginalized, beat up, families destroyed, lives destroyed or even if people are killed. As long as the few still worship him he cares not what happens to anyone else. At his early rallies he encouraged his throng of worshipers to beat up anyone they wanted to. trump is sick and he is evil. And the Republican party is addicted to its power that they will let him do anything he wants. That makes the Republican party just as sick and evil as he is.
1
Mr. Kristof is correct on every point in his essay except one:
'...almost no one advocates open borders.'
The Democratic Party has indeed allowed itself to be co-opted by far left-wingers who believe exactly that. Even Nancy Pelosi opined that the construction of a border wall would be 'immoral.'
If the left had fought for fair and humane immigration policies AND acknowledged that it is right and proper for the United States to decide who is allowed to immigrate into this country, perhaps the grifter Trump and his band of miscreants wouldn't be running our republic.
9
Dadalaz, saying that a border wall is immoral is not the same as saying you want open borders. Not even close.
1
we need to set the bar higher than ever. Bad things happen when good people do nothing.
If I am correct Trump rolled back another Obama 'rule' that people could apply for asylum in their native country, then leave. They no longer can do this.
I am afraid this is all racism.
1
If you are not here legally, take your kid and go home.
8
Simple solution. Illegals shouldn't bring children and instead apply for status like millions of law-abiding immigrants do.
8
When the first stolen child is beaten or killed, Trump should be arrested and incarcerated immediately. In solitary. For life.
2
Doesn't taking these children from their parents constitute kidnapping, a federal crime? John Kelly's cold indifferent "whatever" clearly shows his and his boss' sociopathy - as if there were any doubt before. Wouldn't this policy constitute high a high crime and misdemeanor? Every day this lawless, in humane, repulsive administration sinks more deeply into a moral cesspool and drags us with it. This has nothing to do with immigration policy. If you have money and connections you can enter this country and exploit its possibilities, participate in its pleasures and probably hire a great accountant to avoid taxes. Look at Melania and her family. This is a racist, cruel, criminal policy. Where are the Democrats? Support the ACLU which is upholding the right of these southern neighbors to petition for asylum.
3
Let's just call this what it is: It's a terror campaign designed to create fear in people from Mexico and Central America who are seeking a new life in the United States, either legally as asylum seekers, or illegally by crossing the border without permission, by creating fear that they will lose their children and their families. That is what it is, plain and simple.
And it is beyond evil. It is inhuman. It is Donald Trump and his twisted mind, and it is the Republican Party that supports him and is complicit in what he is doing. It is the Republican Party that came up with water boarding torture, and now this satanic campaign of terror.
If anyone needs a reason to vote in the fall elections, this is it. The next thing is concentration camps and the ovens. Decent Americans can no longer sit by. Call your senators and congressmen/congresswomen and tell them, this is not America. This is not justice. This is not freedom.
1
If the idea is to abandon your humanity ensure full compliance, why stop there there are plenty of nastier things you can do to those poor children. prison labor camps among other things come to mind.
In fact they just have to look to the terrible conditions these people are escaping for their families dear life and take inspiration! just make conditions at border worse than those and they'll stop coming. until than .. tough luck, all you would have achieved is given up your own humanity especially given the fact that many of these conditions in these countries are direct result of four decade long supply side war on drugs.
I wonder how does this gels with christian right values of compassion & love thy neighbor?
1
People seeking asylum in response to very real threats of violence, and presenting themselves according to established LEGAL procedures should not be treated as criminals! And as for tearing children...even infants...out of their parents arms, with no indication of when they might be reunited, I readily agree that that is simply evil.
1
Looking at a lovely picture of tRump's daughter, and his grandson, will cheer you up. Or, maybe not. Makes me angry.
1
The anger on the left is eating you alive, you can't look at someone's grandson, a small child and smile, that's sick...
3
At least East Germany's marksmen waited until someone actually crossed the border before shooting them. As reported in the Times, Israel's shoots people when they are merely within 100 feet of the border. I'm sure Trump admires this "get tough" policy as well.
1
" . . . put into foster care or whatever." Whatever? My, have we sunk to a new low.
2
What's most evil is 100,000's of foreign invaders using children as hostages, and illegals getting pregnant and having children here that they cannot properly care for soon after they cross the border in order to get a ransom of a green card and to stall in our immigration courts indefinitely. While their unsupervised and not disciplined children have 30% HS drop out rates, 70% pregnancy rates and turn into gang members! But it is difficult regarding this immense quagmire of open borders immorality and organized crime to determine who actually are the most evil persons. Probably its the NY Times editors and paid off by the business owner few percent journalist propagandists and Left wing political class that sabotage the enforcement of our immigration laws by doing whining articles pretending to "care about the children" that encourages, has created a Latin American 'emigration culture' of these parents abusing and risking the lives of children. All of course fundamentally motivated by our business owners, Wall Street criminals, and do no production financial institutions greedy desire for 1-2 million more immigrant "bodies" a year to use as slave labor, as ever more customers and to increase the GDP - which our mass immigration loving 1-10% have rigged our society in such a way that they get a ever larger fraction of the growing GDP every year.
9
While acknowledging that there are no perfect remedies to illegal immigration, separating families is in the same class of evil as torture of wartime prisoners. Only the truly heartless would even consider it.
So with no perfect remedies, the question becomes: do we display callous disregard for desperate people in order to discourage them from imposing on our comfortable lifestyle, OR do we sacrifice some comfort in order to welcome the refugees of the world. This is what it boils down to. And the choice is not easy. I like my comfort as much as anyone, but I'm not about to stand by while such evil is being used to maintain it.
4
The May 31 edition of The Daily and Mr. Kristof’s column conjured up a fantasy scenario. At the end of a long and dangerous journey, which many did not survive, a group of refugees, having escaped persecution in their homeland, leaves their boat and struggles ashore. There they are met by a border patrol that promptly arrests and incarcerates the adults while sending their children to an unknown area. This never happened, but you probably know where I’m going with this: the boat is the Mayflower, the year is 1620. We will be marking the 400th anniversary of the actual event in less than two years—perhaps a good time to reflect on how far we’ve come and how far we have fallen from our original story.
2
What did you all expect? Racist candidates, racist campaign, racist policy. Do not kid yourselves: Racists are real and they are evil and they are here, now, running our government. Do not remain silent. Be vigilant. Call out racism immediately anytime anyplace. Let's teach The Smirking Beauregard what zero tolerance really is. Resist!
3
Just sent check to the ACLU.
3
Our organization RAICES Texas is raising funds to get the mom featured in this story out of detention. Please help her get released! bit.ly/RAICESbondfund
1
Defending the racism of the odious Charles Murray as you do leads directly to the policies you claim to denounce. Crocodile tears
1
Trump immigration policy favors born and bred German military draft dodgers fleeing criminal prosecution like his German grandfather.
Trump immigration policy favors born and bred Scottish women like his mother along with born and bred Czech and Slovenian women like his first and third wives.
Trump immigration policy treats every white European Judeo-Christian alien foreigner as better and superior to any African American Asian black and brown American aliens or citizens of any ability,education, faith or talent.
2
It should have been obvious years ago that Trump and his deciples are pure EVIL!
2
And to think, Republicans wanted immediately to "take our country back" when we elected a black president. I want my country back, back from yes, evil.
4
This is the cruelisr thing this administration has done. They have no respect
for prospective immigrants and treat them like criminals.
1
Haven't you heard? Immigrants are intending to do harm when they enter this country. They want to take 'our' jobs, sell drugs, commit crimes, join gangs or live off welfare. They do not look like or talk like 'us'. They are 'bad hombres'. Why, they may not even be human! Broken up families and a few tears is a small price to pay for the sanctity of our freedom. And here's a potential silver lining: Maybe those children who are taken away will find employment manufacturing 'Make America Great Again' products here in the good ol' USA!
2
Utterly despicable.
I can't think of anything else to write which would be fit to print.
3
Alas, we have elected Lucifer.
2
I am an atheist who finds wisdom in parts of the Bible:
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[a] you did it to me.’
I submit all Christian should consider this passage.
4
This is only the beginning. Just wait until food and water shortages increase. Most people would rather stay in their homes but they simply cannot for ever increasing reasons.
The USA cannot solve all the problems of the world but Trump and his idiots are not the people I want working on these very difficult issues .
5
Come on Mr. Kristoff. These are economic refugees who should toughen up and make their countries great. Where are the womens' husbands? In the Salvadoran gangs? Living in Los Angeles for years, you see what open borders causes and it's not producing good results for America.
6
We need to enforce our immigration laws. We also need to be aware that people use children -- sometimes not even their own -- as a way to gain entry into this country. Those who are really seeking safe refuge from violence would stop at the first safe border but they do not. It sounds so great to dump on Trump for cracking down, and that is what it is -- enforcing the law -- because it is really hard to see any good in Trump. But we as a country need to enforce the laws and see to it that immigration is done fairly to all who want to come here
7
Someone said to me yesterday, "Well, it's a good thing if taking the kids away keeps migrants from coming here, because as children of migrants, those kids will have a hellish life here anyway."
It hadn't occurred to that person to think about what might be happening in someone's homeland to make them take the hellish and perilous trip north through Mexico, and to expose their children to the dangers of that trip.
In my job, I research the country-conditions reports that people who apply for asylum must submit in order to substantiate their claims. I read reports issued by government agencies, U.N. agencies, non-governmental organizations, and academics, along with television and newspaper reports (often local news articles, written in Spanish).
I frequently tell people about my work, and about the conditions that refugees are fleeing. The hard, diamond center of their choices is this: Flee and maybe live, or stay and certainly die, probably by torture.
People who face this choice *for their children* will continue to bring their children with them and ask for asylum at the border, even if they know that they will lose their children--because it's better to lose them to possible abuse or other emotional and physical pain than to lose them to certain death--especially to the *kind of death* that awaits them back in their home countries.
2
Why are we discussing Roseanne and Trump's wanna-be apology on the front-page and not videos of children screaming while being torn away from their parents OR pictures of mutilated school children after a gun rampage? I don't believe text is sufficient to communicate such horrors.
1
Mr Kristoff, you’ve been the “canary in the mine” for abuse of the helpless on a global basis. That we need you now for abuse of the helpless by our own government shows how far we have fallen. It’s heartbreaking.
1
Mr. Kristof sarcastically asks "So what’s next, Mr. President? Minefields at the border would be an even more effective deterrent. Or East German-style marksmen in watch towers to shoot those who cross?" I say don't give that fool any ideas, what they're doing now is cruel and sadistic. Who knows what conditions these children are being kept in? We already know this administration thinks of them as "animals" is that how these children, some of them babies, are being treated? Just so those brown people will stay south of the border and not add to the Dreamers already here? There's a special place in hell for those who enable this mistreatment of children under the mantle of "following orders" you know who else ripped children from their parent's arms? The Nazis and if you asked them they'd say they were just following orders.
4
"...gratuitously embracing cruelty"
That, in a nutshell, pretty much sums up Trump and his administration.
7
And where is "All-About-the-Families", Saint Ivanka Trump, as her father authorizes ripping screaming children away from their mothers?
Repulsive.
8
I hope the democrats will make this an enormous issue for the midterms. Trump and his fellow Republicans are shameless and have no concern for other people's children. But the American people are better than this, they don't want these types of heartless authoritarians representing them.
3
The left and the democrats have made illegal immigration and amnesty the cornerstone of their platform. That's what got DJT elected. They'd better try something else.
1
"I hope the democrats will make this an enormous issue for the midterms."
.
So does every Trump voter, bro.
.
"...Republicans are shameless and have no concern for other people's children."
.
Maybe we wonder how a parent could endanger their child.
This whole approach to immigration is deplorable in light of our history and the words of Lady Liberty. In my view for every death that occurs among the imprisoned some one in the administration should be charged with murder. I'd begin at the top.
2
Please send this to every member of Congress. Ask for a response. Please keep on writing on these important issues. Thank you.
1
Yes, everyone here has time to write letters for people we don't know
To me, there is only one thing worse than our government's vicious policy of taking children away from their parents, and that is our media's indifference to it. Nicholas Kristof has given me hope that sanity may eventually prevail in the United States.
2
People that deliberately hurt children are the lowest, despite their Ivy League educations and well-tailored suits. The damage done to these innocents is lifelong by people who have never known true desperation. Just a bone spur.
2
Separating parents seeking asylum from their children? Mr. Kristof is correct. The current administration has adopted a policy that all but the most callous and sadistic among us will recognize as evil. This is the face we now present to the world--gratuitous cruelty and evil. The 2018 midterm elections will be a referendum on this and other misguided policies of the Trump administration. The results will tell us who we really are as a nation.
3
We're a sick, sick country.
1
Nicholas, my question is how do we stop this, NOW? I can't even begin to imagine what the parents and children go through because of this. And the kids - who exactly is taking them and where do they go??? Keeping families together should be the highest priority in any circumstance. Family is the meaning of life.
3
Do you really think children should be sent to prison along with their parents? We don't do this to U.S. children and shouldn't do it to migrant children. The Homeland Security Department transfers migrant children whose parents are incarcerated to the Department of Health and Human Services. The children remain under HHS custody for an average of 34 days. The overwhelming majority are released to sponsors who are family members while the remainder are placed in foster homes. U.S. children whose parents are imprisoned are treated much the same.
2
Kristof claims that the US treats immigrants "abhorrently."
If he is serious, then it is his responsibility to advise migrants to stay away from the US and seek instead entry to (the many?) countries where they will be treated better.
Readers are looking forward to seeing Kristof follow the logic of this writing.
13
Two images:
Auschwitz, 1944: SS guards meeting the trains, separating families, sending some to labor, some to immediate death.
U.S., 2018: Border guards meeting refugee families, separating children from parents, sending them to an uncertain future, apart.
What have we become?
5
These illegals knew what could happen when they entered our country illegaly. Whatever it takes to stop them from burdening American tax payers and turning our country into a third world country like the one they came from.
They should stay in their country and protest and demand that their government help them just as they protest and demand for rights in this country that they are not entitled to.
15
Don't look now but it is mostly US policy and actions that keep these countries mired in poverty.
1
Refugees are not the same as "illegals"
2
Fighting for freedom. Hmmm, where have I heard that before? Oh, I remember, a bunch of old White slave owners, in the 1770s. Freedom and the struggle for freedom, never go out of style.
1
How much of the violence in Latin America can be traced back to this country's failed "war on drugs"?
2
Almost none. Most of the Central American violence is created by neighborhoods gangs battling each other for control of their turf. They prey on residents, extorting them for money. Central America also has drug addicts, and the street gangs act as the local distributors. It’s street gang violent, not s battle for narcotics smuggling routes across the distant Rio Grande.
I guess we do need the wall. Then the “refugees” can just stack up on the Mexican side and be someone else’s problem.
4
This is another fake reporting to attack Trump. Nicholas just ignored the fact that separation of children happened during Obama time as well. This is happening because of the law. If the law allows deportation of children and parents together, this separation won't happen. Nicholas probably think that these parents are helpless. They are not, they use this as a tactic to come to America. They come to American boarder knowing very well that this will happen. So, the parents willingly hand over their children to America knowing very well that their children will be taken care of by American generosity and thinking that they will be able to come later. They are taking advantage of Americans and it should be stopped by changing the law.
7
We have a wanna be dictator enacting the kind of cruel human rights abuses the United States has always fought.
Evil is the only word for what they are doing at the border.
3
Trump is Bizarro Kennedy. He has a wife that mirrors Jackie in style. He has family close at hand in Administration. He has an estate in Florida for relaxation. His idol is -that's right-JFK's- Winston Churchill. Everything JFK was, charm, wit, intellect-Trump is bizarro opposite-God Help Us!
Neither Churchill nor Kennedy would be for unlimited immigration.
2
This is endorsed and manipulated by the Republican held Congress. It is but a "wedge" issue for them. Something to rile up their base. Fascism is at work here. Not "law and order."
3
I don’t care how far right you are. Punishing children is just plain immoral.
4
Endangering your children is just plain criminal.
Chilling, terrifying, and yes, evil.
This is a human rights issue. Are these children being placed in Spanish speaking homes? Where is the full transparency this issue demands and deserves? Why is there no part of this that allows babies and children the right to maintain contact with their parent?
How are children lost?
Let me appeal to Trump's bottom line: This must be costly. Just turn them away - intact as a family.
3
In her statement, the Salvadoran woman identified as J.I.L declares she came to the United States to seek asylum for her sons, but also indicates that she crossed the border illegally. She states “My sons and I were apprehended with three other women near Roma, Texas, by border officials on the morning of March 13th, 2018.” She was arrested for crossing the border illegally. If J.I.L. had presented her asylum request at a legal port of entry, she would not have been arrested and incarcerated. Asylum seekers know that they are supposed to present their applications for asylum at legal ports of entry, but also are aware that their asylum request might be rejected. So they game the system by sneaking across the border. If caught, they expect to be issued notices to appear a hearings set in the distant future. They refer to these notices as “permisos” because they enable them to reside anywhere they please in the United States until the date of their hearing arrives. The immigration courts have a million-case backlog, and many of those issued permisos do not appear for their hearing.
7
Mr Kristof, go read Sanchez v. Reno (a Clinton era case).
Then rethink your opinion piece.
3
The current rules were not working in deterring illegals, so they had to be stepped up. We are not being taken seriously at the border. It's a lot to sacrifice, but these people (by now) now what will happen upon arrival.......yet keep coming.
Mexico is the first save country in which to seek asylum btw.
7
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!
The Statue of Liberty-
Ellis Island Foundation, Inc.
REWRITE:
Give me your affluent, successful, influential,
Your white Anglo-Saxon Protestants,
Yearning to get rich by oppressing others,
Send these, and these alone to me.
4
This is child abuse. These callous, cruel acts will affect these children for a life time.
For a baby in arms, the temporary loss of a mother is equivalent to maternal abandonment or maternal death. Babies have a sort of psychological merger with their mothers, who regulate them and soothe them. They have no way to self soothe. They have no way to manage terror. They have no way to comprehend who is doing what or that it might be temporary. It is the shattering of a baby's mental/psychological world.
With what we know about Adverse Childhood Experiences, this border policy is seeding both mental and physical illnesses in these kids.
6
Simply stated the policy is cruel, inhumane, and yes evil.
It epitomizes the horrific nature of Trump and his administration.
Its policies favor the rich and powerful.
It caters to the prejudices of the religious right and to hatred, anger, divisiveness, and demagoguery and to racist and anti-immigrant stereotypes. I cannot believe that this horrible man is President. To me he is an enemy to all that is best in America. He is an authoritarian leader from the Hitler school of lies and propaganda.
He is threatening our trust in democracy and our institutions.
5
This is part of the process of de-humanization. This makes “the other” non-human and therefore we can do anything without any negative consequence. No sympathy, no empathy, after all “they” aren’t humans – like us. We can even kill them without any consequences and someone in power can declare them to be legitimate targets. So, taking away their children is not anyone’s concern after all they aren’t really human…
What an interesting position for the US Government to take.
3
This country has no need to allow porous borders to overflow with more humans. We, and the rest of the world, are grossly overpopulated already. Most especially we do not need poor, uneducated "refugees" of any sort.
I agree we should not be taking children, but the solution is simply to turn them back to their own lands en masse when they show up with a litter or whatever.
6
"Litter." May God have mercy on your wretched soul.
1
This breaks my heart. I volunteer with families in crisis and see the impact of separation. It is no small thing to take a child away from parents no matter how decent a foster situation might be. Sometimes it is necessary when a child's life is in danger from drugs or physical threats, but it still is no small thing. I listen to people Like Kelly seemingly casually dismissing this. They need to learn a little about this. They obviously haven't a clue and/or don't care.
5
I am as horrified as you about this policy and its terrible ramifications. I work as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children taken "into care" in Western PA; and I know that the "system" is no place for children of any age. But, my question to you is: What can I or we do about this?? Other than feel completely impotent, as is the case most days in the Trump America? Simply working to change things at the ballot box doesn't seem enough in this case...immediate, hands-on action seems required, but I am unaware of how we in the hinterlands can become involve in the solution. Please advise!
4
For those who present themselves at a border crossing and apply for asylum, I do not see the justification for removing their children from them. I have a completely different reaction to those who choose to cross illegally. In that case, I agree with the administration that anyone committing a crime runs the risk of separation from their children if they are caught.
2
Mr Kristof: If you could dictate immigration policy and control/monitoring of the U.S.'s border with Mexico, how would you do it? We have wrestling with this problem for decades.
5
The left seems to think doing away with borders completely is a solution. Many of us do not. It does make for a great name calling exercise but clearly we need something else, which will require more than vapid articles like this one.
8
I feel like we have woken up in that Sci-Fi movie District 9. I struggle daily to recognize the America I used to be so proud to be a citizen of, and I feel increasing anger with no outlet. Yes, I write letters. I vote. I serve on nonprofit boards and I work daily to be kind to people. But the horrible culture, lack of ethics, absence of compassion and utter ego-focused, self-serving hate-mongering from the Oval Office makes even people like me feel helpless and cynical.
6
I cannot sit still and allow this cruelty to continue in my name. Can someone post a lead on a targeted response to this evil policy?
1
Yes! Somebody, PLEASE do something.
Here's something. Build a wall and enforce the immigration laws. Send families home together. Help Central America solve its meant problems, starting with birth control. Sending everybody here is NOT a longterm solution.
Oh yes we should open our border to every single one of any group who shows up just because we're really good and empathetic and kind and generous and god-like and did I say kind and generous and nice. Don't believe me just go to the deep south's hidden oasis's of poverty, try Appalachia in certain poor areas, try the streets of any large city. You will see the kindness that we have for our fellow souls. Try the opiate rescue sites. Use your imagination cause our kindness and love for our fellow beings is displayed all around. We can save the entire world if we just eliminate our stupid border.
Personally for this kind of story I ask why do these countries sink into this level of misery. Aren't there souls who say enough and fight back? Rescue your country and stay there. Fight for something because we did.
5
Sophie's Choice comes to America for real - with real life parents like J.I.L, Miriam and Ms. G and thousands of others playing the role of Sophie while the trump administration plays the role of the third reich in a cruelly effective way.
America is now the sanctuary of real crooks, led by the biggest crook of them all. Indeed, the global kleptocrats are trump's client base.
Imagine what is done with the newborns of girls forced to go through their pregnancy to term - or even those who willingly went to term. Were their newborns stripped away form them too? To be trafficked to Americans? Likely to be indoctrinated by evangelicals instead of Catholics as their parents likely want.
The "gratuitously embracing" of depravity by the trump-cult are values shared by the "family values" conservative Republicans and evangelicals - put into action. They should be held directly responsible for their evil too, for enabling this ugly depravity that violates all international Human Rights laws and norms of decency and even Christianity.
2
One wonders how this morality bankrupt, hateful and evil man sleeps at night. However, I'm sure he has no problems whatsoever. He's a legend in his own mind. The deplorable rabble adores him, who could ask for anything more? Ignorance reigns. Ignorance is bliss. Long live the haters and the bigots. Build the wall, shut the doors and turn out the lights. The United States is moving backwards. Long live the King Donald Trump.
1
The commenters complaining about evil trump and republicans need to step up and volunteer to pay much higher taxes and be willing to take in the endless supply of refugees (with the accompanying environmetal, social, education, financial etc costs of unlimited popultion growth) with no complaints or limits or they are hypocrites. An alternative to name calling is an honest discussion of the numbers, costs, longterm effects etc of our broken immigration/refugee policies and yes the we have to talk about numbers and what we can reasonably accommodate. At 325 million (3rd most populous on earth) and climbing, many think we are well past a sustainable population now, much like the countries we are getting all these people from. Moving people around is no longer a viable way to solve the worlds problems.
9
That discussion needs to include the economic benefits to our country from immigrants which far outweigh the costs.
If having vast numbers of uneducated unskilled people was a great economic idea Central America would be an economic paradise. It isn't. The s___hole countries of Europe and Japan have done much better than we have economically and they, until recently, have had very low immigration levels. They are reaping those benefits now. Our stagnant wages, growing underclass and huge wealth gap are directly the result of our poorly thought out immigration policies. No one ever got more prosperous by importing more poor people and we aren't now.
Yesterday on NPR I listened to a Regan speech on immigration. He clearly talked about the wealth disparity between neighbors and how this would always bring immigrants to America from the south of this continent. That was in the 1980s. It 2018 now!
Fix the laws to stop this awful intervention a product of Jeff Sessions. Where are the bright minds to do this?
1
I have long maintained the fundamental basis of Republican policy on immigration was based on evil. Republican and Trump immigration policy is based on stopping or deterring the "browning of America." They see the white people becoming a minority in the next 20 years or so, and are determined to do everything possible to defer that as long as possible. Immigration polcy, voter restriction policies are all designed from this framework.
4
Criminal- and not just Trump but his appointees allowed their positions by the venal lackeys of the GOP.
2
A refugee or asylum seeker is not an illegal immigrant.
"Illegal immigrant" sounds like a simple concept, but as this policy shows, it's merely a distillation of the current prejudices against strangers. When you want cheap labour, and cheap food and other products, you'll take anybody. When you want to deflect ordinary folks' attention from the real reasons for their joblessness and dismal future, you redefine "illegal immigrant". See Britain's Windrush scandal for another evil example.
4
I wonder if CHINA will cancel princess ivanka patents and the billion dollar loan to trump industries.. half from the chinese govt.and half from a chinese bank with all these tarriffs. I HOPE SO.
4
Nick, you say We as a nation should protect our borders."
Why must we? The gangs in Central America exist solely as a byproduct of our addiction to the drugs that keep our own refugees quiescent. Everything you write is humane, generous and empathetic but you stop before arriving at the root of the problem... we incarcerate our own expendables, we dope them up, we purposely don't educate them to keep them ignorant and malleable, we fence in the people whose country we broke in to, what right do we, who've caused all these problems have to say no to these decent children of the Americas? What catastrophe do you envision happening if we had no borders?
Separating children from their parents like this can be a fate worse than death for these families. The United States has mutated into a country that now tortures people out in the open. So where do we go from here?
2
In 1941, when she was a teenager, the nazis drove a truck into my mother's peasant village loaded her and other children into it and drove off while my grandmother ran after it in anguish. My mother never saw her again. The same thing happened to my father. Now America has separated even younger children from their mothers. What has this country become? Will God bless America for this? I rather think the opposite.
7
The country is under sustained invasion from the 5-6 billion or so persons who would prefer our lavish, free-to-them hospitality to staying in their own countries. I have orders of magnitude more sympathy for the Americans who are displaced by the endless waves of migrants/immigrants/illegals. On top of this, we are worse than broke, mired in debt.
Trump's approach is moral, in stark contrast to the gross immorality of his predecessors, particularly the monstrous Obama, who encouraged violation of our immigration laws including the rush for the border by "unaccompanied minors."
We're not falling for the "but think of the children!" tear-jerk stories anymore. Build the Wall.
8
You should read more information about the economic statistics around immigration. Some reading material might be from The Catalyst, the journal put out be the George W Bush Institute, an article titled "Benefits of Immigration Outweigh the Costs". or possibly from EconoFact, "Do Undocumented Immigrants Overuse Government Benefits". Your arguments are based on an us vs. them mentality that has no basis in fact.
1
"Ellis." As in Island.
Trump, his crime family, and the collaborating GOP have taken us to places this country has never gone, but our World War II enemies have.
After reading this op-ed piece, I'm reminded of an SS "secret" program called "Lebensborn," where "aryan"-appearing children were taken from their parents in Nazi-occupied countries and raised in privileged conditions as the next generation of the "Master Race."
This practice seems the negative image of that.
2
crime against humanity:
a deliberate act, typically as part of a systematic campaign, that causes human suffering or death on a large scale
6
Is there not some violation of international human rights at play here?
There is such a thing as international law and the Geneva convention?
3
Nice column, Mr. Nicholas.
Yet I can’t help but remember when you tried to convince us that your hometown of Yamill, Oregon was populated by “good, decent, non-bigoted people” even though they overwhelmingly voted for trump.
This instinct to deflect criticism from your relatives, friends and acquaintances is the reason why change won’t happen with trump’s support.
Structural change always starts at the personal level.
The only thing new about Trump administration policy is that it has begun complying with U.S. law by prosecuting people for entering the Untied State illegally, even if they have children. This may sound harsh, but once words spreads that the United States prosecutes those who enter the country illegally, most will stop crossing the border illegally.
Migrant children whose parents are arrested and incarcerated for crossing the border illegally are treated similarly to U.S. children whose parents are arrested and incarcerated. Once their parents are arrested, migrant children no longer have a parent or guardian to care for them. Their status changes from accompanied children to unaccompanied children. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 requires the Homeland Security Department to transfer them to Department of Health and Human Services. By law, HHS must provide for the custody and care of unaccompanied children, defined as a child who has no lawful immigration status in the United States; has not attained 18 years of age; and, with respect to whom, there is no parent or legal guardian in the United States, or no parent or legal guardian in the United States available to provide care and physical custody. The children remain under HHS custody for an average of 34 days. The overwhelming majority are released to sponsors who are family members while the remainder are placed in foster home.
2
Minefields? Don't give Trump any ideas.
Let’s look at this in a different way. The thesis of this op ed is that all these people are victims of a cruel system instituted by Trump. I am no supporter of Trump, however I do not condone what is going on at or southern border with regard to hordes of people crossing into this country. As some readers have pointed out many of these people are not fleeing horrible violence. It is very easy to present yourself at the border and claim this and we have no way of knowing if this is the truth.
I am familiar with the border as someone who owns property there and I can tell you it is an ugly situation. Drugs coming our direction, guns going the other direction and your pickup truck disappearing south too.
The unfortunate truth is that most of the wannabe immigrants, legal or otherwise are going to be exploited here. I imagine most all of the commenters here have never toiled in a field picking strawberries or washing dishes in a hot kitchen. Most all of these people are severely uneducated and many will never become proficient in English leaving them vulnerable to becoming part of our ever expanding population of the poor.
We do need immigrants to this country but let’s screen them for their ability to thrive and prosper and contribute to our society in meaningful ways. How about starting off with more doctors, engineers and scientists.
5
Is this really who we are?
Yes!
3
America and Soul...haven't put those two words together since Jan. 2016
2
Maybe I'm missing something but broadly speaking seems to me a schizophrenic policy to say we do not want immigrants and yet, when immigrants do present themselves at our border, we imprison them in this country at great expense to the US taxpayer (not to mention even greater harm to the imprisoned and their children) rather than simply sending them back across the border.
A conspiracy theorist might look for a connection between this policy and the US private prison industry....and its shareholders.
5
You are correct. Private prison stocks rose at that person's election.
1
The u.s. already has the highest prison population in the world (cnn). LA has a jail with 17,000+, interestingly, many are ethnic gang members. I don't seriously think we need to import kids to fill our jails. We have a built in home grown and immigrant reservoir right now. Red herring.
"Is this really who we are? As a parent, as the son of a refugee myself, I find that in this case Trump’s policy has veered from merely abhorrent to truly evil."
.
As a parent, I find it impossible to understand how I could willfully endanger my children. But, J.I.L. was beaten by a gang, in front of her children. That makes a good case for owning a firearm. And, a good description of "animals", that would beat a woman in front of her children.
.
If the whole world runs to America, because life is scary in their home country, pretty soon it won't be America. To paraphrase a meme, "Everybody wants to be an American, until it's time to do American stuff." That would be fighting for your country, to make it better, not just for yourselves, but, for your kids.
3
I keep thinking of the movie "Sophie's Choice," where a mother was forced to pick which of her children to be given to a Nazi soldier to likely be sent to a gas chamber, and which to keep with her. The horror of that choice has stayed with me forever. To think we are doing the same thing is evil beyond forgiveness.
no easy answers here, i wish there was. however dumb old me was thinking why don't we help those countries and its citizens that are fleeing so that they would want to stay in their beautiful countries? at the cost of the "Wall" we could assist those countries to be the places where its citizen's would want to stay. why shouldn't America be again the shinning light in all of the America's? seems like a lot of the gang problems are related to the instant reward of selling drugs to Americans. so in a way we are in part responsible for creating the conditions that makes people of Central America want to flee to America.
1
This country is sinking to depths beyond belief.
1
'This mother, who for her protection is identified only by her initials, J.I.L., said that while in El Salvador she was severely beaten in front of her family by a gang, and she then fled the country to save the lives of her children.
Who among us would not do the same?'
Not me. I would deposit my kids with their grandparents. Send my wife to stay with her elder sister. Arm myself. Wait for the right moment. Take the gang by surprise. Kill every single gang member or die in the attempt.
Better to die on your feet than to live on yourr knees.
4
" And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."
.
Those founding fathers were some real trouble makers. Well, that's probably how the British felt. Perhaps we should start exporting some good old American history, to these troubled lands. No doubt, how America came to be, is not well known in the lower Americas.
.
It is abundantly clear, Latin America needs patriots.
3
that's backwards...it's better to live on your feet than to die on your knees.
Simple solution- they should stay home and not cross our border illegally.
7
Cruelty is a feature, not a bug.
1
This is the result of years of lying politicians who did not do their jobs. With a democratic senate and congress Obama did not pass immigration reform. Oh, but he did enact DACA shortly before he was up for re-election! Smugglers were entrusted by parents with tens of thousands of children in a race to the US border. Now Trump is evil in his efforts to stop the insanity. These so called parents can keep ther children and recross the border.
3
So crushing to watch these families suffer now and to know they will continue to suffer for generations to come. Demand that Trump’s immigration agencies -- ICE, Border Patrol, the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of Refugee Resettlement -- stop the implementation of any policy that separates children and youth from their families, and that the administration enlist qualified social service agencies to ensure the well-being of children who are still in their custody, or missing.
Also:
http://internationalpsychoanalysis.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/CPMH-S...
Those who are coming here and entering our country illegally when they knew they were breaking our laws should be given little sympathy. They were given fair warning about not traveling to America and being allowed to enter. They disregarded our advice and now they must pay the price and not be allowed in.
The US is not against immigration but want those to abide by our laws. This is very unfair to those who apply legally and wait years to enter. We are not being mean spirited but want our laws followed. Let them go home and apply for citizenship as they are supposed to do. They will be given the opportunity for legal citizenship once they do it the proper way as was intended.
5
Before Trump is through America will be uniformly hated on an international basis. Meanwhile, Trump will try to blame the separation problem on Obama and the Democrats despite the obvious fact that the evil separation of parents and children happened on his watch.
1
Our President is a psychopath. "First described systematically by Medical College of Georgia psychiatrist Hervey M. Cleckley in 1941, psychopathy consists of a specific set of personality traits and behaviors. Superficially charming, psychopaths tend to make a good first impression on others and often strike observers as remarkably normal. Yet they are self-centered, dishonest and undependable, and at times they engage in irresponsible behavior for no apparent reason other than the sheer fun of it. Largely devoid of guilt, empathy and love, they have casual and callous interpersonal and romantic relationships. Psychopaths routinely offer excuses for their reckless and often outrageous actions, placing blame on others instead. They rarely learn from their mistakes or benefit from negative feedback, and they have difficulty inhibiting their impulses." (reference http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-psychopath-means/)
1
"from El Salvador"...Looking at a map show that you would need to travel through both Guatemala and Mexico to reach the US from there and that there are several additional countries closer than the US. So why do they come here if they are just fleeing local violence such as gangs or domestic violence and clearly have the resources to move? The vast majority of asylum cases from Latin America were rejected even under Obama because these people are overwhelmingly economic migrants trying to game the system with sob stories that may or may not be true but even if they are largely don't justify asylum.
9
I have a suggestion. Why don't we build a wall to stop the illegal crossings into the US, and put a stop to the need to separate parents from their children. Oh that's right, you're against that solution. Costs too much wasn't it?
5
Correct. According to the left it is much cheaper to take in millions of uneducated, unskilled people with huge families. After all, everyone in this country is doing so well now...
3
Trump uses cheap euphemisms for immigration like 'getting tough' and 'getting smart,' but separating kids from parents accomplishes nothing and is sadistic. Trump is clearly wantonly cruel, but so is a political party that abides by making children suffer, while claiming to represent 'family values.'
1
Not the first time this has happened in this country....there is a best-seller out now detailing the story about how, from the 1930s until her death in 1950, a Tennessee woman was stealing and selling children to people all over the country....including many celebrities. Under the guise of an orphanage, she had the support, not to mention assistance, of local as well as state authorities....including the wife of the then-President...and they were Christians, too!
Trump has said he would like to fire Jeff Sessions, and he should, because Sessions has decided to prosecute asylum seekers and cruelly deprive their innocent children of their parents. Decisions about whom to prosecute are always discretionary. Since Mitch McConnell has asserted that he would not allow confirmation of a replacement attorney general, he is complicit in this travesty.
What so you expect from a nation of illegal immigrants? Yes, every single white person here is illegal, because we never heard of the Pilgrims obtaining a valid Visa stamp from the Pautuxet Nation before landing in Plymouth. What part of illegal do you now not understand?
3
Rediculous comparison. Our immigration laws like every law in every country on earth have changed with the times. No one lets every one in anywhere. Unless you're from east Africa even "native Americans" are immigrants. A country without borders or laws governing who can come in or leave is not a country. Is that what you want?
How many asylum seeking women from central America have been beaten? How many of those women will acquire husbands/boyfriends in America who will beat them and their children? That is an issue that is at least as serious as the parental bond-breaking issue you are flogging.
1
How is this not kidnapping?
Trump is incapable of creating policy. He emits edicts in the form of tweets. So let's not get confused. If a policy in one form or another is on the books from a past president, Trump will destroy it's original intent and display his malevolence and disregard for people while doing it. I do not want to attribute formal policy to Trumps tweets and rants. He wouldn't recognize a formal policy if it bit him in the a......
1
Maybe the christian right will finally wake up and realize this is not christian at all. Perhaps the Christians will stop listening to the Pat Robertsons of the world and vote for someone with moral character.
1
None of these women qualify for asylum based on the facts stated in this article. Fear of criminal violence is not grounds for asylum in the USA or anywhere else. The same is true for fear of an abusive husband. "Fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion" is how the law reads. There has to be independent evidence of the persecution of the group in the country of origin and then evidence that the asylum seeker is a member of that group. Persons who fail the first objective test should be immediately deported. There is no persecution of Hispanic women and children, for reasons of status, by the Honduran or Mexican governments
4
Several weeks ago, the NYT quoted John Kelly as saying the “. . . policy of separating families is an appropriate deterrence to illegal border-crossers”.
The separation of children from their parents is not deterrence, it’s punishment – arbitrarily imposed, horribly cruel and unusual punishment. Only sadistic people, people incapable of empathy, individuals without a conscience (sociopaths?) could advocate
and justify these policies.
How do Trump, Sessions, Kelly, Pence, Huckabee et al sleep at night? Do they ever have nightmares in which their own terrified, crying children are ripped from their arms. I fear not.
3
Yes, this is a horror and a crime. Every day I read about a crime this Trump government has committed. There are more and more hate crimes committed in the U.S. every day....And every day I ask what can be done about this. Do we have to wait for an election, months away, to rid ourselves of these people. And the Christians in congress....where are they...cowards and money hungry parasites they are.How do we rid ourselves of this evilness? The democrats should be screaming out every day about all these injustices....the environment, the children, the attacks on the poor, our national parks being taken away for a quick sale. How do we stop this now?
1
We are living a nightmare but the majority of the population of this beautiful country is taking action in many aspects. For example many of us are buying more goods in the stores that decided not to be slaves of the NRA guys. Some Cuban immigrants that still remember Father Bryan O. Walsh who helped bring about 14,000 children out of the bloody communist regime, are following the example of Operation Peter Pan and providing help and refuge to children escaping the bloody Venezuelan regime. They still have the Eisenhower era way of thinking: "no visas required for Cuban children". We don't like the "Mara-Salvatrucha" gang and we support children escaping from them. Ni más faltaba.
1
Here we go again. Everybody knows Central America is a mess. Virtually everybody from that part of the world (and many other places) will come here if we let them. The supply of people is endless. The ability of the u.s. to absorb them is not. Those countries are hopelessly over populated as are their neighbors. That's why they don't stop any place else before they get here. Those countries just offer more poverty and over population. We offer a social welfare net and chain migration so that eventually everyone can move here. Unless we are willing to take all of the 10s of millions of unhappy people from that part of the world, we need another way. Our laws should change so that no one is allowed into this country unless they apply thru our representatives in their home country. We need to help these people fix these countries so that their populations don't all want to leave and come here (ex- it is estimated 25% of elsalvador has moved here already). Simply moving them all here will have no long term effect except in the end, to turn us into another central America. At that point immigration will stop but it won't be a good solution for anyone. Improving Central America and reducing the birth rate are the only longterm sustainable solutions to this mess.
7
Pure and simple, this policy is a huge win for Trump and the Republican Party. In the short term, the Republican base is fanatically enthusiastic about it, in the long run, if even one of the thousands of children commits a crime, Trump will declare it a scourge of crime, and blame it on Democrats for not funding his precious Wall.
2
The behavior and success of Trump, and the support of his sycophants, was explored and explained by Shakespeare, as Stephen Greenblatt has described in his chilling book Tyrant. It's the best explanation of Trump and his supporters that I have seen, and I've seen plenty of them.
1
I'm going to play devil's advocate hear for a minute; 1st, these woman and children have traveled through several countries to get here, and I assume they could have applied for asylum in any one of them. 2nd, finding out they will be separated from their children, they could just turn around and stay in Mexico or another country further south, correct? They made a choice that they would like to enter the US, even without their children. 3rd, they could choose to formally apply for asylum, but know their chances are slim, so they don't. So, the way I see it, the mother is making several choices here. If she were to make a different choice, she would still have her children and be out of the danger she is fleeing. She may not be in the US, but that's why we have a formal screening process.
11
Amazing that Mr. Kristof writes this article without discussing the 2008 law passed by George W Bush that allowed asylum for children and that law subsequently caused massive crossings of children from couth America. The courts were unable to handle the required hearings to determine if the children were possible human trafficking victims.
The asylum laws of US also allow children to obtain asylum if the parent accompanying them is determined to meet the requirements for asylum. So why separate the children? The only reason is for harassment and degradation of the
aliens to discourage entry.
Is this within the spirit of the existing laws for asylum seekers?
I think not.
2
Putting aside for a moment the architects of this inhuman policy, I wonder about the people who are actually on the scene breaking up asylum seeking families. (and let's be clear we are talking about people who did not try to sneak across a border, but presented themselves to the authorities and sought to initiate the process of seeking asylum.) What do they think about what they are being instructed to do? When they go home at the end of the day, do they feel a sense of accomplishment? If they are parents, do they look at their children and imagine such a thing happening to them?
12
Border Patrol officers who arrest illegal border crossers think the same thing that other U.S. law enforcement officers think when they arrest Americans with children for criminal violations.
1
They're counting down the days until they collect their union contract pensions. The "banality of evil" is a universal phenomena.
1
With respect:
"Yet Mirian, a Honduran woman who arrived in the U.S., broke no law. She simply followed the established procedure by presenting herself at an official border crossing point and requesting asylum because her life was in danger in Honduras — nevertheless, her 18-month-old was taken from her."
The comments reveal that many commenters think the migrants portrayed in the article are being prosecuted for seeking asylum. This is untrue. They are being prosecuted for entering the country illegally. Asylum seekers know they are supposed to present their applications for asylum at legal ports of entry.
9
Read the article:
"Mirian, a Honduran woman who arrived in the U.S., broke no law. She simply followed the established procedure by presenting herself at an official border crossing point and requesting asylum because her life was in danger in Honduras — nevertheless, her 18-month-old was taken from her.
Likewise, Ms. G, a Mexican in the A.C.L.U. suit, went to an official border crossing point and requested asylum with her 4-year-old son and blind 6-year-old daughter. None of them had broken American law, yet the children were taken from their mother."
2
If you read the link Kristof supplies, you will find that the plaintiff mother is asking for reunification with her child, albeit in a detention facility. She has been convicted of no crime - charged with a misdemeanor. Why separate her from her child and cause undue anguish for all concerned? Your implied point has merit - most commenters find the policy unusually cruel and un-American.
1
The people coming to the border have obviously been coached as to how to game the system. The "catch and release " that we are doing now benefits no one except the immigration industry. We need to change the law so that families are kept together but also sent home so they can apply in their home countries. We can no longer be the population pressure relief valve for the world.
I have always been pro law and order, I donate to support organizations that help police and first responders. But at this point, our Border Patrol has become the equivalent of Storm Troopers. They are willing and disgusting agents of a terrible, immoral force of autocracy. They dehumanize refugees. They are un-American and unworthy of the support of people like me. One could argue that they are like the soldiers of the Vietnam era, that they didn't choose this "war." Perhaps. But soldiers in Vietnam were drafted. These jack booted thugs are volunteers.
5
So your solution is just open the flood gates and let everyone in? This problem is caused by previous administrations saying come on in with no plan to deal with it. The immigrants are just gaming the system to get to the u.s.
5
"So what’s next, Mr. President? Minefields at the border would be an even more effective deterrent. Or East German-style marksmen in watch towers to shoot those who cross?"
Nick, don't give them any ideas. The situation is bad enough as it is, but minefields and snipers are only a stride away from those who believe immigrants (like your ancestors and mine) are toxic agents of destruction.
1
As one person who called a radio talk show insistitefuly said, separating children from parents who are seeking asylum is a crime. The government workers doing this, because they are following orders, are guilty. History's verdict already established that soldiers doing what the bosses orded is inexcusable. Inhumane acts are illegal when the official task is an abhorrent, inhuman, crime.
2
Protect our soul? Trump has no soul and no conscience. And every day he proves beyond question that the vast majority of republicans in Congress have neither soul nor conscience.
Soul? Isn't that the odd, foreign thing we checked at the door of the 2016 national election? We can recover our soul if we bother to vote in 2018 but we need more soul than we're showing now to prompt us to get off our duffs to do so.
1
America simply does not owe "refuge" or "asylum" to the world's seven billion people from the social and economic vicissitudes of life outside the USA --however harsh.
America does not "separate families".
They separate themselves.
They can leave here any time they want
-- ensemble, en famille.
The USA does not force persons to come here without legal authorization.
The USA does not force persons who are not unauthorized to be in the USA to give birth here. They bring that upon themselves.
The USA also does not force persons who are temporarily authorized to be in the USA to give birth here. They themselves make that decision, and making it does not abracadabra, hocus pocus transform their temporary authorization into permanent authorization.
5
Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen' statement: “If you as a parent break into a house, you will be incarcerated by police and thereby separated from your family.” comparing house invasion to stepping across a line is an incomprehensible distortion of values. Bank executives stole hundreds of millions of dollars and didn't go to jail, why ? Simply because they had the money to fight off the government. But what defense does a destitute victim of gang violence in Central America have ? Only the reputed kindness and humanity of us Americans. There are crimes and there are crimes, let the punishment fit the crime, and separating a child from its parents is a punishment to fit the most heinous of crimes.
2
Thank you Mr.Kristof for speaking out for children here and in other parts of the world who are being harmed by thoughtless adults.We need an immigration policy, one with extensive solutions to the plight of peoples in our hemisphere.Separating children from parents who bring them here is not a policy, it is a punishment.We have to admit sadly that this is not a child friendly society.Thousands of children go to school every day fearful that a gunman will shoot them.Many African American children cannot play outside or walk to school without fearing gun shots.A society is judged by the care they give children and ours falls far, far short of commendable.
2
Nicholas, perhaps we should defend our border as vigorously as Israel recently did when thousands of Palestinians approached Israel. Would 60 dead illegal immigrants (from gunfire) send a strong enough message that you come to our country in a legal manner or you don't come?
I've traveled around the world myself. Every time in every country I have entered (except Mexico and Canada back in the 90's) I have had to present a Passport (even in the Carribean). Other countries and their citizens should respect our laws as I respect theirs. Moreover, unlike many coming to the U.S. before I even go some where I try to learn the language which is why I have formerly taken Spanish and French in a classroom setting. Then I learned Mandarin prior to going to China. If I can do it so can they. After all, if they are really the best of the world (or their countries as you would have us believe) surely they can meet such a small barrier as our langauge.
1
The people crossing our border to escape poverty and conflict are the least of our problems today. The billionaire fraud in the White House and his Congressional enablers are the real threat to our country's future. Billion dollar walls , endless ' wars on terror,"
the rising cost of healthcare , gutting the federal government, increasing defense spending, threatening our allies with tariffs and sanctions. We can't even take care of our veterans from the last phoney Middle East war and Trump's Fox News cronies are planning another regime change. A million more deaths in the desert and trillions of more debt. How long can a nation last hiding behind walls waging endless wars? Trump will probably draft the illegals into the army to fight like the Union did to the Irish getting off the boat during the Civil War.
1
One can't care anymore, if one crosses boundaries never before crossed but, that man needs to be taken out any way possible, as soon as possible and I don't care about boundaries any more. The man is ignorant and evil - a deadly combination.
1
The policy of separating children from their parents is inhumane. Even animals do not separate babies from their mothers.
"We must...assiduously protect our soul."
After Trump was inaugurated, I naively expected his supporters to come to their senses as they watched and listened to the self-serving conman they put in the White House.
As time passed and Trump has defiled the presidency, I have come to the realization that Trump, Republicans in Congress and MAGA supporters have no soul. Many are proud racists; many are the-end-justifies-the-means Evangelical Christians; many love their guns more than their children; many hate immigrants because they're not white skinned people coming from Norway; all of them want the Mueller investigation to end because they don't care that Russia helped elect Trump. They are thrilled with Trump because they are all Trumps.
Taking children from their parents as a policy to deter asylum seekers and illegal immigration is soulless, heartless, cruel, evil. The Statue of Liberty could be replaced with a statue of Trump inscribed with large gold uppercase letters: "Abandon all hope, ye who enter."
Trump has made America look inward and what we see is beyond disappointing, it is frightening.
9
This is not just an editorial, it's a public service. "We as a nation should protect our borders. We must even more assiduously protect our soul." The soul of the US has a deep hole, caused by White rage, racism, fear, and exploited to a "t" by Donald John Trump. Elections are consequential. Let's get these horrific human beings out of the White House, out of state houses, and out of our federal congress, beginning this November.
1
To make matters even worse, if possible, the US has lost an estimated 1500 of these children, who could be easily trafficked or sold.
To those evangelicals who support Trump, what does this say about your faith? Is there no compassion? Once all the rah-rah rallies are over, you will bear this shame for the rest of your lives.
7
If Mirian fled Honduras, she MUST have passed through Guatemala. She didn't present herself at that border and ask for asylum. She MUST have passed through Mexico. A lot of Mexico. Didn't stop anywhere along the way and ask for asylum. It is nonsense to say that alleged asylum seekers have the right to pick and choose the country that has the honor to have them stay there.
6
Who are these people whose job it is to rip the children from their mothers' arms? Is unemployment so bad in the US that Americans take jobs like this? Is there special recruitment for people who are known to be sadistic?
1
Donald Trump, Jeff Sessions and Kirstjen Nielsen are the embodiment of pure evil. Three merciless- bankrupt souls: No further analysis is required.
8
I would like to ask Evangelical voters: Is it Christian to tear young children from the arms of their mothers and send them—who knows where, for weeks, months, or years? When both parents and children are basically in prison, and neither knows where the other is living, or even if they are still alive?
Because, Evangelicals, I don’t think that is what Jesus would do. Or anybody else who is even halfway decent, either.
10
He was a refugee himself, fleeing King Herod who was out to kill him. At least Mary and Joseph survived in Egypt until it was safe to return home to Nazareth. Odd how the Scriptures are so literally relevant today.
2
By electing Trump, whether legitimately or not, we have become an "evil-doer" nation. Even Bush recognized that America stood against evil-doers, a word he perhaps invented, but which fits us well now.
Is there redemption from this? How? Our "evangelicals" support this sort of behavior now. We are no longer one nation under god, or at least not the god preachers tell us is just and righteous. As for rule of law, when Trump's attorney claims that the legitimate process of the Muller investigation has become a "lynching mob" it's clear that someone is at war with the America we grew to love and respect. It's not the NYTimes or liberals or Democrats.
2
Exactly right. The present administration's policies are evil.
3
There is no more right and wrong. There is simply Trump.
Sophie had a slightly better choice than the migrant women at America's southern border. And a voice was heard weeping and wailing...
"This mother, ... , said that while in El Salvador she was severely beaten in front of her family by a gang, and she then fled the country to save the lives of her children.
Why didn’t she ask for asylum in Costa Rica, Panama, or Mexico? Was our welfare system a draw?
Most American citizens do not know how many benefits anyone who is living here has access to. Illegal migrants can apply to the IRS for Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs), and then file for cash to help support their children even though they do not earn enough to pay any income taxes. In 2010, the Inspector General for the Treasury Department discovered that the IRS had paid illegal immigrants 4.2 billion dollars under this program, and concluded that it was drawing foreigners to move here illegally. Some illegal migrants also use their ITINs to apply for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a government subsidy for low wage earners. The IRS claims it cannot tell who is here illegally, and so continues to make payments of these modern forms of welfare. Migrants also benefit from other welfare programs such as help on heating and air conditioning bills, free bus passes, free medical care at emergency rooms and county health clinics, free food banks, and so on.
Instead of requesting asylum in a country closer to her own, the Salvadoran mother brought her children all the way to our country to partake of our welfare system.
4
The trampling of human rights by the ugly American in-chief, in these United States, is occurring in plain daylight. What's the matter with us, in tolerating this outrage? Trump may be acting as a dictator and despot...but we still have the constitution and the rule of law, right? Oh, wait, I'm told these values have been suspended for now, so to protect them from being trampled, as are the least among us. This abuse of power could not be happening without the complicity of a republican party gone AWOL. This is malevolence personalized. Plus cruelty 'gratis'.
2
The rule of law and constitution have been suspended due to the threat of being overrun by aspiring nannies, gardeners, and roofers. It's an existential threat you know.
2
Good example of what happens when you break the law and do whatever you want. Mother should be punished for letting this happen to her children.
2
The day after Trump was elected, I wrote a letter to five Evangelical friends of more than 20 years who had voted for him and severed ties. In the letter, I told them I could not be friends with people who condoned racism, sexual assault, the destruction of the Earth, and lack of empathy for the poor and sick.
Trump's abhorrent behavior is no surprise to me. Immigration policy is simply a logical extension of it. I don't even have the words to adequately describe people who support this and other policies, but I know the words don't include any form of the word "Christian." Evangelicals have so lost their way that they've forgotten the most important of Christ's commandments and gleefully support lying, treason, and evil.
17
I admire your courage and ability to cut ties. I have a sticky situation with family members (thankfully only 1 family ) who voted Trump. Since then I have turned down several invites to their home, always giving an excuse as opposed to revealing the truth.
In addition,my husbands very Christian family who live in the South West continue their strong support for Trump.Thankfully we don't get invites.
Funny,I never heard or read anyone chastise Pres.Obama for doing the same thing. not when the Washington post ran an article that the Obama administration put those kids with human traffickers. guess its ok cause he a Democrat.
11
So you're saying that the process is OK now?
Obama had his critics for his immigration policies and the fact that his administration increased deportations. There were lawsuits. Because of Republican recalcitrance he was unable to solve the immigration crisis reasonably and humanely for the long term- thus leading finally to the DACA executive order which Trump still exploits politically, claiming an abuse of power. Nothing about any of this is ok.
3
There is no excuse for the President's behavior in regards to every aspect of what the office actually demands.
Immigration is one of his pet-campaign-peeves he promised to deliver on.
We know what Trump actually thinks on this matter and can be summed up with his blanket comment:
"They're not sending us their best people . . . " and goes on to include the likes of criminals and rapists - not to mention "animals".
Please, we need to see news headlines more like:
"Trump Immigration Policy Veers From Abhorrent to Evil" in more than just the opinion pages - we need to see the meaning of his actions as headlines - and please - we do not need to see his vulgar Tweets as headlines - it only gives this immoral man more of what he craves.
Once again, the USA is ignoring its obligations as a signatory to the 1951 Geneva Convention, in this case (at the least) Article 31.1. Separating families sure sounds like “imposing penalties” to me.
http://www.unhcr.org/3b66c2aa10.pdf#zoom=95
1
As unfortunate as it is, laws are there for a purpose. What is being overlooked is the fact that Obama had 8 yrs to forge an immigration policy but did nothing. Trump is stuck cleaning up Obama's mess,
4
Excuse me. Obama tried to bring about immigration reform, but it was killed by a Republican congress.
3
Republicans stymied all his efforts.
2
The Obama plan like every plan from the democrats is always based on a blanket amnesty and a vague promise of border enforcement at some distant date. All this has lead to is ever more illegals counting on ever more amnesties and no border enforcement. Won't get fooled again. Border enforcement first, then we can talk about reform.
The only reason trump keeps Sessions on cuz Sessions creates these evil deeds. Time for the UN to step in.
4
So - if you want to commit an illegal act, use your children as a shield? The mother's shouldn't have done it and the U.S. needs to enforce its laws.
4
Hey, these people & their children are brown, beige, or (Mr. Kelly) "whatever." Trump and his followers need to keep the USA from getting too tinted, and they will do whatever is necessary toward that end.
3
Hmmm...I wonder what Jesus would think of Don Trump's policy of ripping children away from their parents who are simply seeking asylum protection?
1
This is horrifying. And where, with such soul crushing abuse, does this administration anticipate the hurt, anger, rage and sorrow will go? Where and how now and in the future -five, ten , fifteen years from now -will this evil wound metastasize? It is clear, very clear this administration has no bottom. It is clear, very clear this administration will hollow out all good any any perceived value to enrich itself. It is the mob, it is corrupt and undeniably criminal. We are living a tragedy created and sanctioned by the government we elected to represent us.
9
81% of the 325,000,000 people in the United States never voted for this president.
Never.
3
I recall one of my favorite observations about Richard Nixon, made by Robert Kennedy. He opined that Nixon represented the dark side of the American spirit.
President Trump has now 'seized' that title from Nixon; the nastiness and ugliness that this man has brought to our country has become like a malignant cancer. Oh yes, Trump didn't create these masses with their bigotry and prejudices and ignorance of what the noble ideals of our country are, but he has exploited them and agitated them
to further his personal power. His virulent racism and prejudice about all the 'others' is staining our country's heritage. Whether this stain proves to be indelible is up to us Americans to decide.
Keep writing columns like this Mr. Kristof; use bullhorns if need be to expose these inhumane policies which shame our country.
7
Nixon was an angel of light compared to Trump. Nixon didn't try to destroy New Deal programs; he even had a proposal for a guaranteed annual minimum income. Nixon wasn't anti-environment; the EPA was established under his watch. And so on. Too bad Nixon is dead; he would be a vast improvement over Trump.
5
My reactions to Trump and his coarse Presidency have swung widely from fury to laughing at the absurdity. The stories of ripping children from the arms of their mothers and fathers make me weep in sadness and wonder at what foul humans we've become to permit this to go on one more day. John Lewis exhorts young people to "get in the way." This is the time to get into trouble and get in the way.
2
"Gratuitously embracing cruelty" -- the Trump administration in a nutshell.
5
Ah, silly you, Mr. Kristof; “our soul?” Didn’t we, a Mephistophelean nation, trade in our virtues—such as they were—for Donald Trump? How can any rational person justify it? The 63-millions who thrilled to his threats and who swooned to the nationalistic nonsense that would soon become our ongoing “American Carnage” invested their long-cherished resentments into a “Christian” rationale of stupendous and horrific proportions befitting the bleak and soul-killing Old Testament.
Sons and daughters may now be sacrificed at the Mexican border, all in the name of an ugly recrudescence of centuries of inhumanity to justify turning away the widow; the orphan; the unclothed or unshod; the desperately hungry or thirsty; the unclean.
A Christian nation never harms the vulnerable. With merciless intent, Donald Trump, as the American “president,” summons to his demonic banner those very ones who brag and boast that Jesus Christ is alive in their hearts. But in the hardness of what passes for their “hearts” lies the slick anvil of denial and the raised and lowered hammer of hate crafts and fashions a bargain with every evil, an insanity that sunders parents from children, perhaps forever.
No, Mr. Kristof; we cannot accept all who knock; take in all the surging, teeming multitudes at the gate. But do we lack wisdom and will? For surely we shall be judged—and that harshly.
Did not Christ say “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones.”? (Matthew, Chapter 18, Verse 10).
1
Shooting someone is not next - they already did that by shooting a young woman the other day. Anyone who reads these stories and is unmoved by them is certainly not "Christian" (Jesus would seriously despise the people using his name in vain) nor are they even human.
2
The policy is clearly evil. People who do and support that which is clearly evil are themselves evil. That is the definition of the word as applied to a person.
4
California has always been the bell cow for American politics. In 1994 California's Proposition 187, a blanket attack on immigrants similar to the one being waged by Jeff Sessions and Donald Trump, led to a resounding rebuke of the Republican party. Now Democrats control all of California. The GOP is repeating these same racist attacks on the national stage lets hope for the same results.
Sorry...I repeat, ad nauseum, that we are under the "Leadership", ad nauseum, of a Sociopathic Personality Disorder. We, the People, are
swimming in the Swill without apparent Relief. Meanwhile, our "President"
is enjoying his chronic Exposure to our Attention. I tire, even, of the
presence of his flourishing Signature. On Memorial Day, my minimal mind
was thrilled by the Leadership Presence of the sight of General Colin Powell!
3
It appears as if there is no policy too coarse or venal for the Apprentice in the Oval Office. His total lack of humanity is appalling and staggering. His contempt for non- white immigrants is diabolical.
The crimes Trump is committing against people seeking asylum are an abomination. It is made even worse by the silent complicity of the Republican Party. In particular, Mark Meadows and Jim Jordan share his xenophobic contempt for immigrants. Until people rise up and throw these hateful men out of office Trump’s assault on families will continue unabated.
2
There are many suffering children on this planet. Should we take them all? If we should then who is going to pay for their food shelter and schooling? Should we delay or stop having our own children to help these children first? I say that if you have money and you want to help then help build institutions in their own countries or our country will soon become like theirs is right now. Where are we all going to migrate then?
2
Cruel, cruel, cruel to innocent, tiny children who can't even run away.
3
Last night there was a documentary on PBS (American Experience): "The Chinese Exclusion Act". Watching that documentary, it is reasonable to ask: is there much difference between the US of 1882 and 2018? Is there really a profound distinction between disallowing Chinese immigration into the US and blocking immigration from certain Muslim countries?
It seems that concern for humanity has always been skin deep in the US. We see today the US expresses unease for Human Rights selectively, only when it does not involve its "friends" or impact US commercial interests. But when it comes to countries that the US does not like, Human Rights is a political bludgeon to be deployed with no hesitation.
1
Someday there will be a movie about this dark time in America, and people will wonder how this ever happened. That's my hope -- that we emerge with sensitivity and greater empathy as a nation. Though it's getting harder to hold onto that hope with each passing day. We are living through a nightmare.
7
Trump has no policies, only tweets and edicts. Let's not give him credit for policies; those are formal structured documents that anyone can read. Trump's edicts change with the wind and serve no one but himself. I cannot think of a single Trump edict that should rise to the level of policy.
7
As a resident of Pittsburgh, almost all here are the result of immigrants within the last 120 years. We have seen prosperity and decline and now rebirth with vigor. We need to encourage immigration to our area as we grow. Immigrants are welcome here.
7
The easy part is to point out the rottenness of what is happening at the border. The hard part is to figure out what to do. I note you offer no solutions. It is well known that Central Americans know what to say to get into the country to obtain asylum. If you read Pew and Gallup, you know there are hundreds of millions , perhaps more, who wish to immigrate. It seems our best course is to do what we can to help other countries, not that this is easy or will even be accepted. We continue to fight the immigration battle based on things other than the big picture. We seem to be unable to debate the questions of how many, from where, and what attributes are required for entry? Our culture and our physical environment cannot accept everyone. The Southwest’s water issues are not going away, for example. The author notes that we cannot have open borders. So, as per usual, Congress fails to have a real debate about where we go from here.
17
This is who America is. The USA has been doing this for years to its OWN citizens. Why are we surprised by the current logical extension of a long standing policy?
Due to its leading the world in mass incarceration, children are separated from their parents all the time.
"While reform of federal policy may seem implausible in a Trump administration, educators can seize opportunities for such advocacy at state and local levels because many more parents are incarcerated in state than in federal prisons. In 2014, over 700,000 prisoners nationwide were serving sentences of a year or longer for nonviolent crimes. Over 600,000 of these were in state, not federal, prisons.
Research in criminal justice, health, sociology, epidemiology, and economics demonstrates that when parents are incarcerated, children do worse across cognitive and noncognitive outcome measures."
FROM
https://www.epi.org/publication/mass-incarceration-and-childrens-outcomes/
7
What’s the solution? Trump’s policies are awful and inhumane. How do we enforce immigration laws without hurting people? Does everybody escaping violent, poor nations deserve asylum in the US? Most of the people arriving on the border don’t qualify for asylum, and want to be in the US because their economic prospects are better here.
I’m seeing endless stories about how terrible it is to be an illegal immigrant in the US right now. We’re facing the loss of our health insurance next year as we are prices out by premium increases due to the GOP meddling (we buy unsubsidized individual insurance). Not seeing as many news stories on that, and it will absolutely devastate our family. We have three kids.
7
One of the biggest reasons for seeking asylum is the epidemic of wife beating in central America. I feel sorry for those women. However, I don't know how throwing ourselves under the bus will make things better. I don't think that a culture of violence will change just by crossing the border.
4
I heard a recent poll on NPR today .. most people are against a border wall. Most people are for keeping DACA. And I'm pretty sure most people would be against this policy of taking children from their parents. Plus it can get pretty expensive over the long haul. .. So where's the Democrats ??? Where's Schumer ? I mean I would think this is a good issue to hammer away at Trump and the Republicans. The cruelty of it all. ... But no, absent as usual.
9
So you go by a "poll" (after all the polls said HILLARY WOULD WIN) from the leftiest place on earth -- NPR! and amazingly, they hold lefty opinions! How about doing that poll on Fox News next?
1
Is the separation of parent and child documented when it occurs? Is a record kept? We should demand that it is, and we should demand to see the individual names associated with it. Someone personally pulled them apart. Let's see the name. Someone recorded it. Let's see the name. Publicly, every time. If the individuals involved find that humiliating, perhaps they should consider whether their actions are shameful.
7
'' It’s true that immigration policy is a nightmare, we can’t take everyone and almost no one advocates open borders...''
Why not ?
The United States is the greatest culprit of human displacement in the entire world, either through continuous waged war, political machinations or economic greed. Aye, I know this is not a popular statement (I have made it many times before) but it is the truth.
Eventually, we are all going to have to come to terms that this planet will become inhabitable ( quite soon actually ), unless we ALL ( as one populace ) come together across all ''borders'' (arbitrary lines on a piece of paper) to solve all of humanity's problems.
People can feel good now and watch as their wall ( literally and figuratively ) is enforced, but soon the wall will not be high enough under any circumstances.
Short sighted ...
9
If it's so awful here....why do people keep coming? really if you were honest, you come to this discussion so virulently anti-American, that no policy would ever satisfy you, even under a Democratic President, sort of every American committing ritual suicide out of guilt for "anti-political correctness".
1
@CC
A Democratic President DID satisfy me (as well as many others) by offering republicans in 2013 EVERYTHING that they wanted. ( bloated security and wall budget with tens of thousands of new agents ) The republicans in the Senate said no and filibustered the legislation that passed with bipartisan support from the house.
Having said that, it is interesting that whenever you show up to ''correct'' a poster, you like to portray yourself that you have some keen knowledge as to the psyche and motives of anyone.
My post was an idea that perhaps, we as a human race should not be so myopic when discussing borders, walls and such.
Perhaps we should alleviate some human misery, be a leader and discuss openly ways that we can all survive as a species.
Feel free to do what you always do.
is there not an option to step back into Mexico at the point they realize what will happen to their children, where they could have applied for asylum originally per UN rules of which the US is a party?
16
Lefty libs have been promoting this to illegals, and promising them "asylum" and encouraging hordes swarming our borders, because of their dreams of a massive hispanic population in the US always voting for Democrats.
2
@ Djt
Does the U.S. stick to agreements they're "a party" these days, national or international, agreed to or mandated by Congress, former presidents or the UN?
1
We sent our gangs to Central America. We prolonged the civil wars in El Salvador and Nicaragua and we financed and supported the genocide in Guatemala.
These are facts. I was in CA before Reagan and kept informed about what happened in El Salvador. We ruined that country.
Now we are sending back the refugees from those wars who were here on temporary status or here because as children they were brought over to avoid war and illegal conscription off the streets of child soldiers by both sides.
We created the mess. We owe them a home and not to uproot them from the homes they have made here. These "illegals" and dreamers are harder working people and better students than their native-born American peers. We sheltered a dreamer before he became a citizen after many years growing up here and excelling in school. Had he gone back to El Salvador, he might have died or been on the streets, but he is now a productive American adult.
Trump's immigrant policy is tantamount to the treatment of slave families. It is despicable and evil; Kristof is absolutely right.
26
When an American parent commits a crime, his/her children do not accompany him/her to jail. Such is the case with adult illegal aliens; entering the US illegally is a crime so the adult perpetrators are detained and provision is made for care of their children. Also, in some cases it is necessary to resolve the question of whether youngsters are actually the children of those claiming to be their parents (one of many forms of gaming the system).
The US has laws and procedures governing immigration that allow foreigners to seek entry and citizenship. Those who do not follow these laws and procedures are in this country illegally (i.e., lawbreakers) and should be deported, though allowed to follow legal procedures and requirements to seek entry and citizenship.
The US cannot afford to support its own citizens: the poor, the ill, elderly, disabled, veterans, et al. It is therefore utterly impossible for US taxpayers to support the millions of people from other countries who would like to come to the US. That is why there are laws limiting the numbers of immigrants allowed into this country each year.
The cruelty lies not in detaining and deporting illegal aliens, since by definition they are in this country illegally. What is cruel, unethical and probably illegal is teaching foreigners how to game the system to enter the US by falsely claiming asylum, persecution, etc.
15
Exactly who are these individuals providing foster care? How can they sleep at night?
1
" ... to evil ..."?
Not really.
In fact the US has long been a place that if it were another country, the US would label as a totalitarian, non democratic member of the "Axis of Evil" and a Third World Country, an underdeveloped place.
Separating children from their parents is only the latest step along a long way.
And Trump is not to blame, he is just doing what his voters and supporters want him to do.
M. Kristof is entirely wrong in his assertion of the US as he is looking at this country with the filter of a person having grown up and being used to the horrors t home.
He only sees the tip of the iceberg but ignores the iceberg.
If one wants to turn the US back to what it wants to be, a civilized and developed nation, one would have turn back the clock to the 1950s, way before Trump.
Trump is only the product of a long line of developments the US did not and would want to see.
Get real, Mr. Kristof, Trump is not the final problem, it is your country and its own culture, or, as seen from Asia or Europe, its non culture.
Weapons alone a good place to live do not make.
And yet millions still trying to come here from Europe and Asia.
1
The immigrants Mr. Kristof describes properly presented themselves at border crossings and requested asylum. This should have triggered an orderly procedure that would submit these claims to a court of law. Instead, we are witnessing some of the most vicious treatment of human beings seen since World War II.
This is happening here. Now. The immigrants presenting themselves at the border crossings broke no laws. Their only crime? Being brown-skinned people. Does anyone honestly believe that Trump would not order "his" Justice Department to treat any of us any differently, should he decide that we "shouldn't be in the country"?
We need to wake up. Now. This is a fascist regime that terrorizes ethnic minorities, and relishes brutalizing women and children.
My words aren't those of an idealistic youth. I'm sixty-three years old. I never thought I'd see Americans treat immigrants the way Mr. Kristof and others have described.
I'm sickened and heartbroken for all of them. But as sad as I am for what our country has become, I know that we will fall much farther before we hit the bottom.
If Trump sees that he may have immigrants treated in this vicious manner with impunity, there will be nothing stopping him imprisoning those he simply doesn't like, such as journalists, such as ethnic minorities, such as women who will no longer be his victims, such as anyone who exercises their First Amendment rights to peaceful protest. Our descent into fascism has just begun.
16
"This mother, who for her protection is identified only by her initials, J.I.L., said that while in El Salvador she was severely beaten in front of her family by a gang, and she then fled the country to save the lives of her children.
Who among us would not do the same?"
There are gangs or criminal elements such as this in almost every country in the world, including the US. Such gangs and criminal elements severely beat up people every day, often in front of their families, in many countries and for a variety of reasons.
Imagine if every time this happened then all these people would seek asylum in the US. Of course except for those being beaten up in the US by gangs and the like. They would have to move. Maybe to Canada? Does anybody get beaten up there?
I do not comment on the obviously bad policy of separating children from parents. It just seems that many have a rather far-reaching interpretation of life threatening situations .
5
This is an incredibly cruel and inhuman policy and will cause irreparable psychological harm to the children that are in custody to "foster care or whatever". This is the extension of what we have come to accept from the Republican party of "family values". We will go to any length to prevent a lawful abortion because we believe in the sanctity of human life but refuse to accept societal responsibility for shelter, food, schooling and medical care for infants and children.
8
The US cannot provide shelter, food, school or medical care for every person in Mexico and Central America. That's like 175 MILLION people! if you wish to donate to those causes in those reasons -- or go to volunteer there -- go right ahead. But I will not let you ruin MY country.
2
The human misery is wholly unnecessary. The U.S. was, is and shall always remain a nation of refugees. It is the refugees who built the nation (albeit at unimaginable cost to the native Indians and African slaves), and who today perform essential tasks from working the fields to inventing new technologies.
Germany has taken in 2.5 million refugees in the past two years. An equivalent influx into the U.S. would have been 10 million. The actual figure in the first 3 months of 2018 was a paltry 5,225 which includes 29 from Iraq, 11 from Syria, 73 from Somalia, etc.,.
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/us-accepted-refugees-2018/
Accepting all refugees from El Salvador should be a no-brainer: At least they are Christian. But Trump and his Evangelicals appear more interested in pursuing mayhem abroad than in practising the New Testament's principles at home. Separating fleeing parents from their fleeing children?
Is he the Christ or the anti-Christ?
5
Trump has revealed unlimited evilness in his character. This handling of children is a crime against humanity. The unprovoked shooting of the young Central American woman...the same.
Just in this issue I read that the parties to NAFTA apparently had an agreement worked out after 9 months of labouring on it...drumpf decided he wanted to take it in another direction killing the agreement hence the 25% auto tariff when the original AUTO PACT DATED BACK TO 1965. I guess he does not care that much of the world regards him and his administration with ice cold hatred. Personally I have not crossed the border since it became HARDER under one of the Bushes who despite as being portrayed as some kind of saints have perpetrated such great evil in the world with their regime changes and their PROJECT FOR THE NEW AMERICAN CENTURY.
No good will come from any of this...every day there is new horror in your country and brewing conflict internationally.
7
Trump has a point that Obama's lax policies encouraged border crossings and using children to gain access, which now leaves Trump in the unenviable position of having to tighten controls. Deterrence will be called, "ugly" and "barbaric" but it may also work.
Mr. Kristof fails to mention that violators' problems don't all get resolved within a few days. Many are detained for months before a hearing. During that time they are separated from their families. Just ask the inmates at the Brooklyn Detention Center. Why should immigrants be granted more rights than our own citizens?
7
Of course, whatever evil trump does it is Obama’s fault.
1
John Kelly: “the children will be taken care of — put into foster care or whatever.”
Or whatever? Seriously? We don't have a great track record of foster care with our own children here in America. This is truly horrific.
15
"Some immigrants bring small children with them and claim to be the parent in hopes that this will spare them from detention.”
Word has reportedly spread throughout Central America’s rural communities that people who arrive with children will be allowed to remain. The reality is that virtually every single one of the migrants is coming for economic opportunity. In a 7/7/17 report titled “Rise in U.S. Immigrants From El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras Outpaces Growth From Elsewhere", the PEW Research Center gives the results of surveys, taken in 2016, of people whom had been either deported from the U.S. or deported from Mexico while trying to reach the U.S. Virtually all of the respondents admitted that they had tried emigrating to find work in the U.S.
"Surveys of recently deported Northern Triangle migrants in their home countries also found that work was a top motivator for their journey, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of 2016 data. Among Guatemalans deported from the U.S., 91% cited work as a main reason for coming, as did 96% of Hondurans deported from the U.S. and 97% of deported Salvadorans. Surveys of Northern Triangle migrants who were apprehended in Mexico while on the way to the U.S., then deported, also found that nearly all said they were moving to find work.”
Even though these people are coming here for economic opportunity, they have learned to say they are fleeing danger in order to gain entry to our country
15
What you said, ann, plus the "asylum seekers" are being coached by liberal immigration lawyers to say certain "buzz words" and make up similar stories about gangs, domestic violence -- stuff to get sympathy from judges -- and of course to bring along cute little kids also for sympathy. Decent human beings do not exploit their kids this way.
1
Illegally crossing into the US is a crime. It should be prosecuted to the extent the law calls for, and if that means a period of separation from the children, so be it.
But, it does trouble me that immigrants who present themselves at a legal crossing requesting asylum would be treated the same. Its the job of CBP to process these people and investigate their claims. Shame on anyone who does differently, and I would like to know how pervasive this is. One outlying case that may be explainable or One Thousand?
The United States should strengthen its internal controls to make it a less hospitable place for illegal immigrants. Sanction (heavily) employers (Its why the I9 exists).
As an immigrant to Switzerland, I can't rent an apartment, sign a contract, or get a bank account unless I prove I am here legally. I also have to register my residence with the local government (well, all Swiss do). I don't propose that the US become Switzerland due to the size, diversity and history of America. But these are potential ways to make the US less hospitable to illegal immigration.
I want legal immigration for both people who need America and for people America needs. I want clear rules for entering, and I want those rules enforced. I want to give empathy and support to real refugees. And, I want border hoppers to feel some pain.
12
I am a legal immigrant citizen whose family cannot even visit this country. It is close to impossible for my old parents to come and live with me. My 9 year old nephew's visa has been rejected. Why does no one think of uniting lawful citizens with their families ?
Instead, I am told to sympathize with people who are knowingly breaking laws !!! I come from a country as poor as Honduras. But I came here legally and I am finding out that I have fewer rights to keep my family together as a citizen than I would have had if I came her illegally.
17
There is a saying: "Two wrongs don't make a right".
Yes, you should have sympathy for these people, just as they could, despite their hardships, for your elderly parents and 9-year-old nephew.
Your anger should be directed at the government that enacts such cruel policies.
5
The reason why people come here illegally is because there is no mechanism for them to enter legally as you did. In addition, even if they try to enter legally by asking for asylum, they are treated like criminals.
1
Joan: I guess you refused to acknowledge the part where RB is here LEGALLY! I guess LEGAL has no meaning to liberals anymore.
Trump's immigration policy has become a kind of restriction through administrative terror.
It must be pointed out, however, that a path to this malfeasance was smoothed by Obama's "executive actions" on immigration, which were so constitutionally questionable that Obama (a Constitutional lawyer) held off for quite a while before resorting to them. Which, however, did then blaze a trail for Trump to more swiftly later reverse them.
In other words, culpability here goes well beyond Trump. It goes back to the bipartisan failure (which Democrats shared in) of voting down the early "Dreamer" reform proposals under the GW Bush administration, to the Democrats' failure to pass serious reform (of immigration or almost anything else) in 2009-10 when they controlled both Congress and the White House, to Obama's abandonment of campaign finance reform once president, and his failure to promote an electable successor.
Unlike many issues (e.g. gun control) which basically amount to common sense versus ingrained ignorance, immigration is a thorny challenge without obvious solutions.
The biggest elephant in the room, however, which no one seems ready to acknowledge let alone confront, is that the US presidency has grown too powerful and urgently needs reining in. But that can't realistically happen as long as the two-party wrecking ball keeps smashing at the competence and effectiveness of Congress, which would have to claw back power it has surrendered to the executive branch.
4
I categorically reject the echo of the ultra-right's solecism in the second to the last sentence, that we have no nation if we have no borders. I truly do vituperate it, as a monumentally cynical, almost Manichaeanly heretical, and certainly hysterical exaggeration of a simpleton's conception of "border." But the final sentence strikes a sound enough note, to renounce the humiliating degeneracy in the one before it.
2
Nicholas Kristof mentions that a Honduran woman whose life was in danger in Honduras "broke no law" when she presented herself and her children for asylum at the US border with Mexico. Is this legally accurate? Was her life in danger in Mexico? Honduras has no visa-free travel to the US so she trekked all the way across Mexico before trying to enter the USA. Does the 1951 Geneva pact on asylum allow anyone passport-free world travel to wherever is most economically convenient? That very old 1951 pact is very out-of-date and out-of-touch; it desperately needs to be amended for the modern world.
9
Peter,
There is certainly no law broken when one presents oneself at a border, accurately identifies oneself, and tells a truthful story.
Weather the applicant for entry is allowed or denied entry under the rules is a different matter.
2
I very much agree. Taking children away from their refugee parents is despicable - utterly indefensible.
"Is this who we really are?" Yes. We voted for Donald Trump, knowing what he was and what he would do.
But this isn't who we have to be. The American people can repudiate him and the Republican Party that submits itself to him.
In November we will see...
10
75-88% of asylum claims from Mexico and Central America end up being rejected. In general, half do not show up for immigration hearings.
Where are the leaders of these countries? Sitting in their gated communities waiting for these poor people to remit millions of dollars so they never have to govern in the best interest of their own people.
And yet we are supposed to continue to enable corrupt oligarchs and human traffickers? These assumed parents have paid to traffickers to move themselves and these children across several countries. We take children away from citizen parents for far less.
5
Mexico is by far the largest and wealthiest of the nations south of our border, but even Mexico only survives economically due to the "remissions" sent by illegals in the US. Also illegal immigration neatly removed 10% of the entire population of Mexico from there to the US -- the poorest, least skilled and illiterate ones. OF COURSE Mexico loves this! (Mexico itself has very strict immigration laws.)
2
"...parents are jailed (which happened rarely before), and their kids are taken away from them."
So, onto top of the needless cruelty, we have the added cost of incarcerating the parents and incarcerating the children until they are passed off to the foster-care system, which also involves payments to the foster parents.
How many millions has this cost taxpayers so far?
How much more in the future?
What other social programs are being cut to fund it?
SS and Medicare?
This is not the country we are.
America is not small, petty and mean, maliciously cruel.
Trump is. We are not.
Vote Democratic on November 6th. Every seat, every office.
Changing Congress is how We The People can begin to fix this mess.
6
In the name of cruelty and fear we are making America great again? I wonder to what depths this greatness will lead us. Just how great do we have to be?
5
The parallel to people who get imprisoned "every day" doesn't really work, because in most cases they know where their children are, and their children are with family. While still sad, it is not the same as having your children taken away and imprisoned on an army base, and being told you will probably never see them again. That's what's happening here.
6
"Or East German-style marksmen in watch towers to shoot those who cross?"
We are getting close to this soulless disregard for the hopes and dreams of those who seek to cross the border to help to support their families. Remember the young and hopeful 19-year old Claudia Patricia Gómez González, with a degree in accounting, who aspired to work to help her family.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/26/us/border-patrol-shooting-woman.html
6
Ms. Gonzalez was a Guatemalan citizen. She had no right to try and sneak into another nation. Her excuse was "it was too hard to find a job in Guatemala"!!! By that logic, we'd need to allow the entire nation of Guatemala to settle in the US! What makes this young woman "special"? She did something dangerous and illegal. She was an ECONOMIC MIGRANT who was coming here to steal a job from an US citizen. She was doing the clearest of all illegal crossings, literally sneaking on foot across the border. The group she was with confronted an immigration agent and ATTACKED HIM; she was shot in the melee. The lesson here: DO NOT ENTER THE USA ILLEGALLY.
3
Kristof speaks to the choir. Ho hum. This kind of story won't budge the Democratic needle. What we need is a two pronged attack. The first prong is to go after the Fox News crowd in language they can understand and within "the bubble". For example, this is securing our borders via breaking the law. The second prong is to identify a strategy for holding those who break the law accountable and for holding those who abet breaking the law accountable. We can start by voting Republicans who fail to hold Trump accountable out of office. We can finish by threatening "red state" taxes that punish gerrymandering and other such "red state" ills. Republicans implemented "blue state" taxes in their "tax cut" legislation. It's time to threaten to take the legislative war to their turf. Imagine a "red state" tax that keeps immigrants out of red states and limits all states to no more Federal spending than 110% of what was paid in Federal taxes. Fox News voters would be unable to resist such a proposal and unable to see how it would hurt them. Ensuring that there are consequences for voters who vote "under the influence" is the only way we can stop this kind of madness in the long term.
1
Mr Kristof
Stay with this story for the benefit of these kids, their parents and those Americans with a commitment to the humane treatment of everyone.
I encourage you to find and post videos of these arrests and forced separations. Let Trump, Sessions, Kelly , Sanders and Nielsen try to explain them.
Who in their right mind could condone such action?
28
"But even for those parents who commit a misdemeanor by illegally entering the U.S. — because they want to protect their children from Central American gangs — the United States response seems to be in effect to kidnap youngsters."
They are "losing" those kids. The same chaos that defines the Trump presidency follows every policy choice they make--does anyone think all this would be "orderly"?
The man in charge has no soul, no empathy, no feelings, and as such, feels entitled to make life hell for the "animals" as he calls them and delights in repeating at rallies.
I really wonder who the animal is here. And I second your thought of what's next, would we have snipers at the border gunning down anyone who dared cross?
The president had the gall to blame Democrats for the child separations. It's just another example of the bully's cowardice that he can't even take responsibility for his own evil.
There has to be a special place in hell for the Kellys, Trumps, and Stephan Millers of this world.
I no longer recognize my country.
90
Christine,
Canada calls! But they have even stricter immigration policies in Canada, also in Mexico and Europe.
Only the U.S. is required (by Liberals) to let everyone in just for showing up. The accompanying picture always shows a women and child without explaining how both crossed Mexico “penniless and on foot” to reach our border or if they are even related to each other!
3
ChristineMcM: well I don't recognize my country anymore either after 8 years of Obama. So now you know how I felt all that time. You're welcome.
1
why? because Obama did what? Brought the country back from financial collapse. For the most part succeeded in giving millions health care they would otherwise not have had. Had Bin Laden taken out when Bush had failed at it. Didn't give the hyper wealthy $1.5 Trillion we didn't have. Didn't kowtow to environmental disaster creating fossil fuel industries. Didn't advocate police brutality and pardon a Sheriff who violated US Citizen's constitutional rights even after he was under court order to stop his illegal search and seizure practices.
What exactly about Obama makes you see his policies as "Un-American"? Unless you have a perverted concept of what is American.
"We ... should protect our borders. We must assiduously protect our soul."
That. Right there. That is our central truth.
We have gone on a foreign policy spree trying to spread truth, justice and the American way. We have occupied Iraq and will fight in Afghanistan for as long as there is oxygen left to breathe to spread what we believe is the American ideal.
What is that ideal? Separating families? Nationalism and jingoism that underscores our inability to see other people as fully human. A pragmatic circling of wagons to keep others out? A moral philosophy based on the idea that guy who dies with the most toys wins?
Yes, we need to examine our collective soul. None of us believes that the problem of waves of people fleeing violence is easy to solve. But we might just believe that if we are to interfere in foreign policy, trying to alleviate the suffering of people who come here - before they come here - is a better use of resources than taking away already traumatized children.
Who are we?
73
This is exactly right! The American ideal seems to have devolved into a toxic mix of nationalism (along with its cousins: racism, sexism, and colonialism) and plutophilia. What has happened to our collective sense of virtue?
4
"No matter what they're talking about, they're always talking about money."
That's who we are.
2
Unless I missed it, not once in this column does Kristof mention Congress. Congress makes the laws, and if you think this is bad law then elect Congressmen and Senators who will overturn or revise this law. You are playing petty politics with a serious problem.
34
Anyone who does not get out and vote for Democrats up and down the ticket is enabling this cruel destruction of loving families, with the risk of permanently scarring the toddlers ripped from their mothers' arms.
And why are they fleeing north? They are fleeing gang-fueled violence inflicted upon them by guns pouring into their countries across the borders due to NRA-enabled gun running.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/opinion/american-guns-mexico.html
Both the reckless trafficking in guns, and the cruelty inflicted on terrified refugees from this violence, are on the Republicans and those who vote them into power, or who stay home on Election Day.
Anyone who votes for a Republican, falling for their wealthy-donor funded propaganda ads, is complicit in this cruelty.
For those who argue that this cruelty is justified, as Kelly says, to make a point, then you are correct to vote for Republicans.
For those of us who are horrified by this cruelty, there is no other option than to remove the Republican enablers and restore America's great tradition as a nation of hope for immigrants and refugees.
15
The practice of separating children from their parents is not a law. It is a policy implemented by the Trump administration.
3
Petty politics? You must be referring to trump‘s executive orders that result in this inhumane treatment. The only meaningful move the legislative branch can make in the given context would be to initiate impeachment proceedings.
1
Reading this article, I couldn't help thinking of William Styron's 1979 novel "Sophie's Choice". The plot's not quite the same, but the nonchalant viciousness of this cruel policy certainly points in the same direction.
94
Nic, please help organize help for the detained children. Unlike their 2004 predecessors, the current detained children are very young, most only infants and toddlers. They cannot speak for themselves because they have not developed the biomechanics for speech yet. If you could contact the International Red Cross to inspect the detention facilities that these children have been placed, it would be a good and solid first step.
We also need photos or videos of the children being separated from their parents.
52
There are efforts underway for all of us to support.... Nick could certainly bring a shining light on the collaboration and grass roots efforts underway and hopefully, the impact that results.
https://momastery.com/blog/2018/05/30/lawmakers/
5
What a shame that Mr. Kristof missed this golden opportunity to speak only and intimately of the cruel policies of separating families set in place by this administration. Instead he mixed the hot topic of gangs with the immigrant Latino population. I have worked with this population at many different levels—as a school counselor and in my parish church. I have seen first hand the devastation that deportations brings to families and communities. For the hundreds, literally,
hundreds of families I have worked with over the years NONE have been involved with gangs. They leave everything to escape the poverty and violence of their countries. This draconian policy is evil and speaks volumes of who the president and his followers are and who they represent—and it ain’t Jesus. Mr. Kristof would do well to speak to the cruel and unusual punishment of separating families and the devastation that detainment and deportation bring about.
79
Sorry but you cannot enter the US illegally simply because you "don't like being poor" in your native land! God knows, we have poverty and violence HERE in the USA! An illegal with no English, who is illiterate (in Spanish too!), has no skills and often a large family to support, is going to end up in the US very poor or on welfare. 55% of all births on Medicaid today are to ILLEGAL ALIENS! The problem isn't just gangs, the problem is that we are not securing our borders or enforcing EXISTING laws. We must deport every single illegal and their illegal families and their anchor babies NOW. It is critical for our sovereignty as a nation. NO other industrialized western nation permits this!
1
Breaker Morant in the movie about his life was accused of placing Boer hostages aboard trains to prevent them being blown up. When asked what the result was, he said the Boers stopped blowing up trains.
It's not hard to imagine that separating a child from a mother who shows up uninvited might discourage others from doing likewise. And if Mexico won't offer them asylum why would they expect the USA to do so?
14
So the US Government in 2018 should follow the example of the British government in early 1900s South Africa?
Concurrent with the policy of tying rebels to the front of trains to stop IED attacks, the colonial government in South Africa also put large swathes of the Boer population in typhoid-ridden concentration camps. Arguably that was an effective deterrent policy, but I think few would argue that the deterrence potential of concentration camps outweighs their incredible inhumanity.
So too, with this policy. The question is not whether or not it marginally reduces immigration numbers, it is whether using the traumatisation of children and families as a policy tool irredeemably darkens the collective soul of the United States. And of course it does; to use a Star Wars reference, we're not the Rebels, we're the Empire, and it's becoming more apparent every day of this administration.
1
Because we used to be a country with a heart. Because it's the right thing to do.
1
Give us your poor, huddled masses.......
The fact is our refugee system is a backdoor way to gain entry for dishonest economic migrants. Most are released into the country pending hearing; which can take two years. In the interim, they take off the books employment and maybe have a kid. Almost half never appear. Around one-third win their case. Those who don't overwhelmingly defy deportation.
Our most vulnerable citizens are acutely affected. They're forced to compete with cheap, compliant labor for employment and social services. Taxpayers unwittingly subsidize the evitable cost of supporting a population of illiterate, dependent migrants. And that's not even getting into language, crime, welfare, and assimilation issues; which are profound. Case in point: the Honduran flag waving by the immigrant caravan. They presented as 'refugees.'
Allowing this to happened isn't moral. The cost is massive yet insidious, and commands a powerful deterrant. The US has plenty of sad stories amongst our lawful immigrant and citizen population that deserve our empathy. And yes, they matter more.
48
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that in the decade before the recent U.S. election, refugees brought in $63 billion more in government revenues than they cost.
The myth that refugees hurt the economy has no basis in evidence. Come to Toronto and see how refugees help our economy and our social fabric through their hard work, energy, and gratitude.
90
This calls for balanced reporting. One US citizen in dire need but can't be helped because "we" don't have the money...because that money goes to one needy illegal immigrant. My friend has worked hard all her life, sometimes two and three jobs at a time to educate her childen. Now elderly, her house is falling down around her, she cannot afford her medication, and simply buying enough food is a struggle. I don't see her story in your columns Mr. K. Italy takes better care of its elderly population.
29
I think you are confusing the term refugees and immigrants. Refugees are legally granted entry to the U.S. Completely different category than illegal and legal immigrants. Let's not confuse the two.
2
What else can we expect from such a horrid person? Here Trump is, doing something completely heartless to families and their children, all while he whines and moans about how he's being treated so unfairly. If only he was made to experience just an ounce of the misery he has created for so many others maybe someday he'd might actually grow a heart. At any rate he deserves a huge dose of his own medicine, behind prison bars.
373
When an American parent commits a crime, his/her children do not accompany him/her to jail. Such is the case with adult illegal aliens; entering the US illegally is a crime so the adult perpetrators are detained and provision is made for care of their children. Also, in some cases it is necessary to resolve the question of whether youngsters are actually the children of those claiming to be their parents (one of many forms of gaming the system).
The US has laws and procedures governing immigration that allow foreigners to seek entry and citizenship. Those who do not follow these laws and procedures are in this country illegally (i.e., lawbreakers) and should be deported, though allowed to follow legal procedures and requirements to seek entry and citizenship.
The US cannot afford to support its own citizens: the poor, the ill, elderly, disabled, veterans, et al. It is therefore utterly impossible for US taxpayers to support the millions of people from other countries who would like to come to the US. That is why there are laws limiting the numbers of immigrants allowed into this country each year.
The cruelty lies not in detaining and deporting illegal aliens, since by definition they are in this country illegally. What is cruel, unethical and probably illegal is teaching foreigners how to game the system to enter the US by falsely claiming asylum, persecution, etc.
8
Mon Ray,
You are mistaken. America is rich enough to take care of all of our people and all of the people around the world if we cared; but, the filthy rich in America need just a few more vacation homes and dancing ponies before we would ever consider that.
Evil. Do Republican leaders support it?
Forget Trump. There is only one choice Republican or Democrat. It's simple!
9
Please put this on the front page every day. Americans need to see what their government is. It is a disgrace to treat people this way, especially if they are declaring themselves to the proper authorities. We can do better. We must do better. This is the most unchristian behavior I can imagine.
281
When an American parent commits a crime, his/her children do not accompany him/her to jail. Such is the case with adult illegal aliens; entering the US illegally is a crime so the adult perpetrators are detained and provision is made for care of their children. Also, in some cases it is necessary to resolve the question of whether youngsters are actually the children of those claiming to be their parents (one of many forms of gaming the system).
The US has laws and procedures governing immigration that allow foreigners to seek entry and citizenship. Those who do not follow these laws and procedures are in this country illegally (i.e., lawbreakers) and should be deported, though allowed to follow legal procedures and requirements to seek entry and citizenship.
The US cannot afford to support its own citizens: the poor, the ill, elderly, disabled, veterans, et al. It is therefore utterly impossible for US taxpayers to support the millions of people from other countries who would like to come to the US. That is why there are laws limiting the numbers of immigrants allowed into this country each year.
The cruelty lies not in detaining and deporting illegal aliens, since by definition they are in this country illegally. What is cruel, unethical and probably illegal is teaching foreigners how to game the system to enter the US by falsely claiming asylum, persecution, etc.
1
Whatever happened to that Bill of Love?
8
If by Bill of Love you mean DACA, the Democrats unfortunately prevented it from passing because they refuse to embrace the policies recommended and supported by African-American, Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, when she led President Clinton's Bipartisan Commission on Immigration Reform. I.e., chain migration reform; elimination of the diversity visa lottery; reduction of legal immigration to a number more appropriate for a nation long past the industrial age; and reform of catch & release provisions, not to mention better tracking of visa over-stays.
The pillars of immigration reform supported by Trump are virtually all lifted from the reforms embraced by Ms. Jordan in the 1990's. It was OK for most Democrats then, when suggested by a Democrat, under President Clinton. And the reforms were only prevented from legislative enactment in 1996 because of Ms. Jordan's untimely death, combined with Clinton's immediate subsequent sell-out to parties demanding no real reform, i.e., the Corporatist GOP like Spencer Abraham; the open borders La Raza; and Chinese donors providing illegal financing.
Congress has refused to do its job for over 20 years. If there is a strange silver lining to the tragic impacts of Trump's enforcement of the existing immigration law, perhaps it is that Congress will finally deliver the immigration reform that Democrats once strongly supported; and that Trump is ready to sign into law.
18
"or whatever"? The thread that runs through every decision this administration makes is cruelty. Vote them out.
130
Remember in November.
4
Cruelty except for concern about "russian orphans", aka sanctions on Putin and his oligarchs. You know, Trump's lenders of last resort. How can Donald profit from laundering their dirty money if it's tied up with sanctions?
1
Just weeks ago, a 19 year old Woman from Guatemala was shot by a border agent, near Laredo, Texas. Different stories have been offered, the bottom line is she died. The Death Penalty, for Trespassing. Now that is Nazi Level Evil. Yes, I used the word, it's appropriate here. What really happened ??? Will we ever know ? Intended, or " just " the usual Trumpian incompetence.??? I want answers.
152
That story reminded me of the border guards in East Germany who shot persons crossing their border. There was a time when we excoriated such people. How much we have lost of our national character!
9
Do you think it will have any effect on the endless masses clamoring to be let into our country and overfill it even more?
2
No, and that fact makes her killing even more disgusting.
Dear Mr. Kristof,
Thank you for your addressing this inhumane situation. My heart has been hurting every day since learning of our own government’s policy of kidnapping children. To what end? So Trump can use them as a bargaining chip to get his stupid wall? (Like he tried to do with the DACA policy?)
Is there a legal way for people to sue over this horrific misuse of their tax dollars? Not only am I forced to pay to kidnap children, not only am I forced to support by my taxes a cruel policy that violates every value I hold dear as a mother and a grandmother, but this policy must cost a staggering amount of money. And the opportunities for abuse are inherent in its structure.
Please keep writing to keep us informed. Please ask your colleagues to do the same. We must pressure Congress to stop this practice and to immediately reunite these families. Are we Americans or are we barbarians?
142
Currently, we are barbarians. If we abhor what is going on under the current administration, we need to get out and vote, and vote smart, not wasting our votes on 3rd party candidates or sitting on our couches on election day sulking because our 'perfect' candidate isn't on the ballot, to wash the stench of this morally corrupt regime off ourselves.
We will not change the minds of Trump voters, but there are enough who understand what evil is, that if they actually rise up and vote straight Democratic in 2018, that we can put a majority in congress that will vote to remove our orange pated Caligulan Emperor from his throne.
2
While I am a believer in LEGAL immigration and for strong enforcement of our laws, this is sickening. We have lost our souls... better we build a wall than separate children from their parents.
18
I'm against LEGAL immigration if it means letting in Melania Trump's parents from Slovenia. And I don't care how they got here. Send them back. Next thing you know her uncles, aunts and cousins will be coming here.
2
Once again, we see the heart string photograph of the young, attractive, light skinned Latina woman holding a baby, so innocent, yes. But the fact of the matter is there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of young men too. We never see them highlighted in the photos here, ever.
21
The article is about children being separated from their parents. The overwhelming majority of these cases involve mothers seeking asylum. That is why there is not a photo of young, single men. It's not a conspiracy.
105
I wouldn't expect the Times to be able to print what I really think of the Trump administration on this policy.
As you so aptly put it, this is evil.
62
This country has a lot of evil to answer for. It is not so much the way we treat refugees as the fact that we created them in the first place, in the Middle East and in Latin America. The refugees from Honduras are fleeing from the consequences of a coup that was supposed by Secretary Clinton and President Obama.
This policy of Trump's reaches a new low in terms of the optics, but in terms of the harm done it is relatively minor. I'm sorry you can't see that Mr Kristof.
11
And Reagan did a lot more to create the Central American crises in the first place. The only President who is in power, though, is this President, and enough pressure might persuade him to change his policies. Why absolve him of this cruelty thereby giving a nod to continuing it?
47
"...in terms of the harm done, it's relatively minor." Relative to what? Doesn't the lack of backup data make your opinion relatively meaningless?
1
Who did what in the past means nothing to the small children being ripped from their mothers' arms by strangers. This is an appallingly inhumane situation which must be stopped. All Americans who care should contact their senator and congressman or woman now and demand that this sadistic practice cease.
2
All children are sacred. The job of all adults is to protect the children. Protect all children.
97
Yes, and where are all those pro-lifers on this? They are so concerned about saving every little embryo, but care nothing when infants and small children are ripped away from their parents.
It's disgusting.
8
Trump sent US bombers to bombard Syria when he learnt of that country's gassing of their own children; he called it evil. Taking an infant away from their mother is another evil, yet Trump turns a blind eye to the cruelty inflicted on today's detained children.
4
Tell the Catholic church to stop encouraging people they cannot afford to support and this will not be such a problem.
Entering the country illegally is a criminal offense. The first offense is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in prison while a second offense is a felony punishable by up to two years in prison. But for decades the United States has dropped charges against illegal border crossers who agree to voluntary deportation. The perception that the United States does not enforce its immigration laws by prosecuting illegal border crossers has fueled decades of illegal immigration. Enforcing immigrations laws may seem cruel, but once word spreads that the United States is enforcing its immigration laws, unauthorized immigrants will stop coming.
The United States does not incarcerate U.S. children along with parents sentenced to prison. A judge places them with family members or relatives or releases them to the Department of Health and Human Services, which assigns them to foster care. On any given day, about 428,000 U.S. children are in foster care. The United States treats children of unauthorized children whose parents are incarcerated the same as it treats U.S. children whose parents are incarcerated. The law requires that migrant children are to be placed in the least “restrictive environment.
33
You are only partially correct. 8 USC §1325 also makes entering unlawfully at a legally designated entry point a civil offense. Civil violations of law NEVER carry incarceration.
In the US, Americans who are incarcerated have gone through all the Constitution protections available and still found guilty. All of these parents attempting to enter the US are ALL now considered illegal, notwithstanding that immigration law expressly permits people to seek asylum to enter the US. The process for determining eligibility for asylum used to occur at entries designated by DHS as legitimate entry points. Now people who desire to claim asylum and who have followed the rules are detained as "illegal" when they are not, and their children snatched from the arms of their parents.
63
They are living in group homes with no access or communication with their parents. As a former court appointed advocate, and an adoptive parent, this is NOT how it works with kids in foster care. The plan there is always family reunification as the first priority with plans established for visits and contact. I haven't heard of this existing in the separation of parents and children. Children don't know where there parents are or when they will see them again. They are living in group homes or with people who have had a background check but no training around working with kids with trauma. This is not the same as how our foster care system works. Children deserve better. Humans deserve better.
9
The bottom line in the US is if you are detained for any reason, you are separated from your family. Detention centers are full of Americans separated from spouses and kids.
The numbers of immigrants who fail to show up at subsequent hearings make them a flight risk. Our legal system considers this risk when determining next steps.
2
Amen.
17
That "whatever" will happen to the young children separated from their parents is perfectly consistent with American values, says Trump's John Kelly. I guess being around Trump has so finely tuned Kelly's sense of honor that he no longer can tell right from wrong.
97
I Dont think Kelly ever had any morals. He is a lying nasty individual who should be stripped of his pension and lose his rank. He did not get to be a General by being a nice guy. He is also a mysogonist.. Look how he treated the congress man (who was black of course) He was made a fool of himself when the tape should he was a LIAR. He needs to go now!
1
Unlike real Marines Kelly has no honor.
John Kelly, The Great Santini, writ large.
The military hero worship fetishism in the US has jumped the shark. Staff rank officers, get to their rank not necessarily by being moral pillars. Discipline, organization, obsessive focus on results may get one to the top ranks but as Flynn and Kelly have shown us morality and honor are optional attributes.
“Is this really who we are? ... I find that in this case Trump’s policy has veered from merely abhorrent to truly evil.”
I believe that the American people are more compassionate than our current politicians. And poll after poll shows that Americans support progressive policies, yet extreme rightwing Republicans hold large majorities at the state and national level. This makes no sense.
The problem is that our vote counting process has been outsourced to a handful of private, rightwing companies that tabulate our votes with no oversight and no accountability. There’s a vast amount of exit poll data which indicates that some election results are statistically impossible.
Fitrakis and Wasserman: Why the U.S. State Department Would Not Certify Trump’s Election as Legitimate https://tinyurl.com/y8a7gqn9
Germany, Ireland, Norway, and The Netherlands went back to counting ballots by hand after realizing the vulnerabilities with computerized voting. It’s the international gold standard.
German Court Rules E-Voting Unconstitutional https://tinyurl.com/za778ju
“The use of electronic voting was challenged by a father-and-son team. Political scientist Joachim Wiesner and son, physicist Ulrich Wiesner complained that push button voting was not transparent because the voter could not see what actually happened to his vote inside the computer and was required to place ‘blind faith’ in the technology. In addition, the two plaintiffs argued that the results were open to manipulation.”
40
Not to mention the unbelievable distortion caused by gerrymandering, the last election's proof that the electoral college does not work as it was designed and the perversion of our campaign finance laws that equates money with speech for entities that cannot even cast a vote. Unfortunately, the answers lie with a Congress that - for countless reasons -- refuses to work. Yet more reasons we need to carefully study our choices this fall and all be sure to VOTE!
30
Actually, the electoral college worked perfectly - it prevented the Coasts from selecting the president on the their own.
3
Maybe "the coasts" should withhold our tax dollars which go, in a large part, toward supporting the rest of the country.
“Is this really who we are? ... I find that in this case Trump’s policy has veered from merely abhorrent to truly evil.”
I believe that the American people are much more compassionate than our current politicians. Poll after poll shows Americans support progressive policies, yet extreme rightwing Republicans hold large majorities at the state and national level. This makes no sense.
The problem is that our vote counting process has been outsourced to a handful of private, rightwing companies that tabulate our votes with no oversight and no accountability. There’s a vast amount of exit poll data which indicates that some election results are statistically impossible.
Fitrakis and Wasserman: Why the U.S. State Department Would Not Certify Trump’s Election as Legitimate https://tinyurl.com/y8a7gqn9
Germany, Ireland, Norway, and The Netherlands went back to counting ballots by hand after realizing the vulnerabilities with computerized voting. It’s the international gold standard.
German Court Rules E-Voting Unconstitutional https://tinyurl.com/za778ju
“The use of electronic voting was challenged by a father-and-son team. Political scientist Joachim Wiesner and son, physicist Ulrich Wiesner complained that push button voting was not transparent because the voter could not see what actually happened to his vote inside the computer and was required to place ‘blind faith’ in the technology. In addition, the two plaintiffs argued that the results were open to manipulation.”
13
Polls show most American oppose illegal immigration. This is why the senators and representatives they elected made crossing the border illegally a criminal offense. The Immigration and Nationality Act was passed in 1952, before electronic voting became commonplace.
1
The historical frame work that has established what constitutes a family has reasonably and justifiably transformed over the last forty years. However, I never contemplated that the sanctity and importance of the family would diminish, especially in the cases of the "foreign-born". The strength of a family unit, I can only imagine, would act as the cement that holds a family together as they navigate a path mined by death, torture and victimization. Can one, who is raised in the soft embrace of a free, democratic society ever imagine the level of fear that a parent must have to direct their children through a maze of carnage, lawlessness and war in order to secure a chance at freedoms without fear for their child. To think that the fear of loss of a child to the United States government is in anyway greater that the fear of losing that child to a errant bullet or a human slavery system or disease and starvation is an exercise in malicious ignorance. If the spectre of an anguished death does not deter the mother seeking freedom, a caseworker, however belligerent, will not. Separating children from their families as a weapon in a battle of political ideologies will leave an ugly, pertinent stain on our history as a free democracy. We will all be responsible.
69
Sir: You say that "no one is recommending" open borders, but indeed I am one (who knows, perhaps the first one you've yet met) who does so. I think it's a fair and humane and economically sound policy. How so? Fair because so much of our wealth comes from Central America, including that which we gained by annexing a good part of Mexico. Because, more recently, the US Government approved the overthrow of a world-certified democratically elected Honduran president in favor of a right-wing military coup. Humane because we have more than sufficient wealth at our disposal to take in the entire world, really, and sufficient wealth on the governments part to clothe, feed and provide jobs for them, jobs that will keep the economy jumping! Of course no one expected that the POTUS would sanction our present policy of wantonly separating parents and children, but Obama (with much fanfare and support from Hillary) did send an entire busload of children back to Honduras, our public throwing bottles and heckling the children. This certainly set a moral precedent.
21
thank you for being honest about open borders, many who in effect favor this are reluctant to say so with perhaps the exception of some libertarians who want o help employers get the cheapest labor.
Of course open borders will reduce the standard of living of American workers to that of Central Americans once equilibrium is established and the flow stops. And of course our environment will be trashed, no chance of saving any beautiful natural areas or preserving much wildlife if our population skyrockets even more rapidly, there will be nothing but ugly, ugly, ugly, congestion, overcrowding, sprawl....
8
Mr. Kristof, have you considered the possibility that these people might actually have been part of the problem in their countries of origin? That, just possibly, their passivity in the face of gangs like MS-13 (and other gangs/militias) are precisely the problem in Central America?
And have you also considered the possibility that this very same passivity that's being exhibited on Long Island, and elsewhere that these gangs are gaining a foothold in America, is allowing the very same problem to gain a foothold here?
At a point where the foreign-born population of the US is at one of it's historical high seasons, and when native-born Americans are having to accept lower wages because of the leaking sieve that has been our southern border for the past few decades, at what point do you consider the possibility that we've done enough?
As heartless as it may sound to some, these people do have countries of their own. These are countries that speak the same language that they do. And these countries are suffering, but are also suffering nowhere near the level that several other countries in other hemispheres have suffered. That they might be faced with the possibility of being asked to start fixing their own countries is not the worst thing in the world. And it may require some sacrifice on their part.
53
"At what point do you consider the possibility that we've done enough?" I missed it - are you quoting Jesus here? Are you calling the police in Long Island passive? And Whiskey Tango, it's true that 18 month olds are passive in the face of gang violence. Often women, too. If only they had you there to fight for them. I'm sure you'd be brave and bold in the face of brutal gangs. As for the poor native-born accepting lower wages - CA and the Midwest are calling and they want to know who is going to do all the agriculture work that needs doing. Can you tell the poor native-born to please apply for these jobs? Oh, they don't want them? As for people fixing their own countries, I for one am definitely going to vote to fix the immoral, evil travesty that is this border policy.
214
I have worked with Latino immigrant populations for many years now. Rest assured —“they” are not the problem. The people who come here to this great land of promise seek what any migrant seeks— food, employment and a better life for themselves and their children. If your child were hungry and there was food the next country over, and knew you could work to get that food, because neither food nor employment is available in your land, what would you do to feed your child?
198
This takes victim blaming to a whole new level. They are refugees seeking asylum. Who are you to look down on them for wanting to be safe, and their children to be safe?
There’s no need for all this pretzel logic. Trump hates immigrants, proud and loud. There’s no reason for you to speak any differently than your President, unless perhaps you are uncomfortable with what that says about your ethics and character.
155
Amen.
8
Have you ever considered that we, the US, is largely responsible for the spike in Honduran crime? I don't know if there is any evidence to the effect that we (CIA) sponsored the 2009 military coup d'etat against the democratically elected (internationally certified) president, but we certainly gave it our very quick stamp of approval. Their poverty is already world-class ("Honduras country profile. Military rule, corruption, a huge wealth gap, crime and natural disasters have rendered Honduras one of the least developed and least secure countries in Central America." and now you self-righteously "lament" that they may have to make "sacrifice[s]"
25
And the right wing militias and robber barons and criminals? Vacationing and invested in Miami, Florida. Flying in and out every day.
We are not responsible for every lousy thing that happens in Latin America.
One looks in vain for a Trump heart
The World is a Real Estate mart,
Appeals to his Base
He cannot efface
Pretending to care is an art.
Acquiring is his inspiration,
Children, not his, abomination,
Refugees can rot,
This man cares a lot?
He savors his ill reputation.
163
Indeed. What this boils down to is that President Trump is willing to engage in what is effectively the psychological torture of children to try to deter undocumented immigration from Mexico and Central America. You are quite right to call this evil. Reasonable people can disagree about immigration policy and how to revise it, but the "zero tolerance" policy is morally grotesque. Would it be that difficult to keep families together while "credible fear" claims for asylum are processed? This policy is intentionally, heartlessly cruel. It reflects a mad nativism unmoored from compassion and reason. Though now a middle-aged atheist, I recall from my Southern Baptist youth that a certain Jesus of Nazareth had his own "zero tolerance" policy -- whatsoever you have done to the least of these among you, you have done to me.
367
Someone should explain to John Kelly that you cannot "take care of" the mental terror inflicted on small children who have no way to understand what is happening to them. ( The Lady in the harbor is weeping and wishes to return to France)
31
Too many Evangelicals chose to ignore Matthew 25:31-46. They have also forgotten The Holy Family became refugees to Egypt to save Jesus' life.
27
I too come from the same Southern Baptist background and have subsequently abandoned any religion. I have not, however, forgotten what I learned about Jesus and how he thought Christians should live and treat others. The christian right no longer accepts what Jesus taught. Too bad for them!
20
A dry corridor runs through much of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Farmers who live there have many children, despite having trouble raising enough food to feed them.
The 2017 UN report "Food Security and Emigration" found that less than one in 10 of the people who left the Dry Corridor for the U.S. did so to avoid violence. The report’s executive summary gave the main reasons people left: "Emigrants reported the lack of employment or economic hardship (65 percent), followed by low income and poor working conditions (19 percent) and violence and insecurity (9 percent) as the main reasons for migrating.” So, only 9% were fleeing violence.
It is widely known that people who want to get into the U.S. (or who are caught having already entered illegally) should claim to be fleeing violence. Even though only 9% of the people from the Dry Corridor told U.N. interviewers that they were fleeing violence, somehow nearly every Central American who approaches or gets picked up by the border patrol claims to be doing so. And it is well known that having a child with you increases your chance of your story being accepted.
We cannot accept everyone. What we could do is offer to help Guatemalans, Salvadorans, and Hondurans in their own countries. We could introduce crops that require less water, help build reservoirs that will catch and store every drop of rain, and ask the Central American churches to condone family planning and the use of artificial contraception.
108
Too late. We have spent 200 years impairing that region's ability to govern and sustain itself. To our own benefit.
70
"We could introduce crops that require less water, help build reservoirs that will catch and store every drop of rain, and ask the Central American churches to condone family planning and the use of artificial contraception."
Of course people would rather stay at home, surrounded by family, instead of e.g. cleaning toilets in Orlando hotels. But Republican budget cuts and gag rules only exacerbate the problems in Central America.
I wish you success in your planned work to do what you describe must be done.
26
You don't address the issue presented in this opinion piece - that of separating children from their parents - which, in my opinion, is evil.
37
Though it seems to be Sessions' pet project, there's no doubt that Trump, (who after all pardoned Joe Arpaio,) along with John Kelly, Stephen Miller, and the rest, have no problem - morally speaking - with instituting cruel perversions to existing laws. There's a sadism there that isn't so latent, and they are going to keep taking this as far as they can before they are stopped.
I agree with Nicholas Kristoff that It's frightening to consider what else they might have in store.
348
Yes, and speaking of sadism, who among us could go to work each day, knowing that our job was to separate young children from their loving parents, ripping an 18-month old from a loving mother's arms?
The ICE union endorsed Trump. They are not "just following orders."
How did these cruel individuals, who call themselves Americans while undermining America's traditions and values, get here?
38
Trump won 58% of the white vote in 2016. Including 62% of white men and 54% of white women. And they are anticipating and expecting Trump immigration policy to favor immigrants like Ivana and Melania Trump.
8
Melania, ex "model" worked illegally in the US. How long is the statute of limitations. She should be separated from her child while awaiting overdue prosecution for her crime.
What kind of country are we living in that we permit our government to exercise the sort of callous cruelty that Mr. Kristof describes? Mr. Trump and Mr. Sessions, yes, and Mr. Miller should be required to stand at a border crossing and witness the distress and misery they have mandated. They should be asked by reporters -- repeatedly, if necessary -- how they would have felt at four years old to be separated from their mothers and fathers and sent away to people they did not know and who did not know them. This is an America that HAS crossed the border into evil.
218
That would be nice, but Messrs. Trump, Sessions, and especially Miller are blinded, self-obsessed ideologues who cannot--and will not--see how their actions affect others. They are irredeemable...in the same class as the Nuremberg defendants.
28
Most of the current administration does appear to be in that class. However, let's not forget the blind acceptance of Congress!
It's too bad someone didn't stop Donald Trump's father at the border and keep him from entering. Trump's family has been happy to use immigration for its own purposes. Donald even used the "chain immigration" he now condemns to get his wife's family members into the country.
8
It is a terrible situation to have young children taken from their parents, no question. At the same time, children have been used to shield people from deportation. How do we disincentivise illegal immigration? If we are accommodating to those who enter illegally why would they stop? As for taking the children on those who present for asylum, that is another question, but again, how to stop the flow? Can we just sweetly say please don'tr come? Will that work?
40
Your point would be sensible only if the use of children as a shield against deportation was a significant problem and there was no way to deal with that apart from kidnapping the children. I have not seen any evidence of either, and neither possibility seems to me very likely. The simple fact is that ICE is and has long been a refuge for sadists, while Attorney General Sessions has no problem with that.
37
You deport the mother and child, very simple, not at all cruel. To divide children from their parents is to force them to make a horrible choice - to hope their children will be treated kindly and survive, or to return to the horror they tried to escape. If we can't help refugees we should at least not torture them.
34
You stop the problem by enforcing US laws against employers hiring illegal immigrants. If these laws were enforced, and such employers would face heavy penalties and jail time, the employers would stop hiring such immigrants, and they would then stop coming across the border since there would be no work to be found. What we do instead in this country is to let the law breaking employer get away with illegal hiring, while we punish the poor immigrant. In the cases Kristoff is citing, it is even more egregious as the immigrants were innocent and only asked for asylum.
36
Abhorrent, yes. Evil, surely. Even Trump knows he can't win this one in the court of public opinion, which is why he has come up with the bizarre explanation that separating parents from children is the result of a "law" passed by Democrats. But, thanks to the candor of Kelly, Sessions and others in this administration, the Liar-in-Chief can't lie himself out of this one.
1
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly hails family separation and shrugs that “the children will be taken care of — put into foster care or whatever.”
It's time to bring Lady Liberty up to date:"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Or whatever."
150
John Kelly was a Marine general officer. The Marines have the highest percentage of Latino members of any service. I wonder how Latino Marines feel about his callous, dismissive attitude.
105
It's time to stop quoting an out of date, cheesy poem put up when our population was 1/6th what it is now as some kind of law.
6
"Your poor huddled masses, let's club 'em to death
and get it over with and just dump 'em on the boulevard" - Lou Reed
6
Is this who we really are? In trumps administration they are. I cannot disagree more because I believe what they are doing is morally wrong and evil. Why not grant asylum to a group of poor souls, not unlike many who have come to America, and nurture these victims who after traveling so far must face this irreprehensible act. As acts like this happen with greater occurrence and impunity, we the people must voice with unity and strength as a nation to say NO we will not tolerate these acts of abuse!! We are better then this.
106
How many of those poor souls have you taken in? How many have you supplemented financially? How many of the millions who want to come to this country illegally should we let in? Who's going to pay for them? They're not invited. They don't belong here. They're coming illegally. We can't afford any more of them. We can't save the world of misery. Let them stay and improve their own country just like our ancestors did. Yes, this is who we really are. We're Americans and not all of us are saps.
9
I hope that the majority of my country and myself never become the kind of person that you profess to be. Someone who does not want to contribute, but wants to live off the contributions of his ancestors.
Jack, I am sorry it took you this long to figure out the world is a rough and brutal place. It isn’t our job fix it, just to survive in it. These refugees aren’t our problem, and if they were refugees vs economic migrants, they could stay in Mexico.
3
How does the Christian right continue to rationalize their support for the least Christian White House in generations. What hypocrisy. Is lots of guns and an embassy move really good enough for them to continue their support and turn a blind eye to the continued absence of human compassion?
148
White evangelicals are the group least likely to sympathize with asylum seekers. Only 25 percent of white evangelicals in a recent Pew study agreed that the US "has a responsibility to accept refugees into the country." For white mainstream Protestants that figure was 43 percent, with rates of 50 percent or higher among Catholics, black Protestants, and the unaffiliated.
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/05/24/republicans-turn-more-ne...
Apparently those white evangelicals were too busy reading their "prosperity gospels" to notice Matthew 25:40 -- "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
20
"Least Christian"? Who's defining "Christian"? Trump has very actively supported Christians. The problem is liberals condemn and ridicule religion when they're not trotting it out to use as a cudgel.
2
Separating children from parents is the stuff of human trafficking, not immigration policy--legal or illegal crossings. I guess Americans, particularly legislators in DC, need extreme scenarios to even think, let alone start regular process, on an abhorrent policy produced by Trump cohorts and touted by the top dog. For that's what this resembles, wild dogs roving the border and tearing apart anything they catch. But we're talking about the party that once took pride in 'family values' to campaign. No more. Perhaps this is simply another attempt at distraction from administration wrong-doing and law-breaking, but is there no nadir to their inhumanity? When will majority Republicans wake up to the peril this 'leader' perpetrates on the nation in the (unspoken) name of personal profit?
102
Do yo really think children should be imprisoned along with their parents? We don't put U.S. children in prison with their parents. We place them with relatives are in foster homes. Homeland Security transfer migrant children whose parents are incarcerated to Health and Human Services, which turns them over to family members or places them in foster home. This is better than putting them in prisons.
4
@ William Case
The children should stay with their parents in detention shelters. The parents are not criminals -- they are asylum seekers following a legal process and do not belong in prisons.
If the parents are being put in prisons for seeking refuge that is the very definition of anti-Christian behavior.