Point to NY Times writers and editors:
This article uses the phrase, "catch and release policies" without quotes, as if "catch and release" is accepted normal terminology when talking about people.
"Catch and release" is a sport fishing term. Using the term without quotes demeans & dehumanizes the people running with their children toward safer, better lives, they hope, in America.
Suggest changing so that "catch and release" is in quotes.
7
The Central American immigrants are coming with children because they know their youngster will get them into the country. These people also are economic refugees who turn down generous offer from Mexico for a humanitarian and work visas because they would not make enough money in Mexico. That is not a reason to just open the doors to more unskilled labor. That the Democrats in congress, who by the way opposed George W Bush's proposal for amnesty in 2006, now are opposing everything Trump does to try to get a handle on the southern border. Maybe if they got real and said we need to do something, recognized the problem, there would be a way to begin dealing with this. The Democrats are just as much to blame for this mess. No, I don't want open borders, either.
10
I'm not sure if this has or not been mentioned previously, but the separation choice sort of has the flavor of Sophie's Choice.
RT
8
Why does the Democratic Party have foot-in-mouth disease when it comes to explaining the background of family separation policy and correct all of Trump’s lies?
5
Where is the voice of the middle on this issue? The system is broken and needs to be fixed.
5
Separation and isolation in an increasingly dense and close-quarters world is not sustainable.
Yet, until we learn this, governments will legitimately maintain order in this way. Consequences can be dire in an existential crisis where often the ends justify the means,
Power takes action, challenges are made, and questioning power about being an instrument for the greater good shifts the results on the balance from side to side.
Checks and balances, and all the expectations placed upon them, are kept in perpetual motion by the flows of energy and power.
Ultimately, there is an issue with our views. It is easy to view a civil war as ending slavery, or atomic weapons as ending WWII, and mostly for historical value. Weighing these events in that manner misses the higher value view.
The higher value, both for those seeking to consolidate and abuse power, and for those seeking to establish tools for distributively good use of power, is to understand the potential consequences of separating and isolating populations.
Eli Wiesel said of the Holocaust that the world had learned nothing. In a world where separation and isolation are unsustainable, we must.
We must dedicate ourselves to a stronger global data set of sustainable economic performance linking all to a foundation of basic human rights.
See César Hidalgo’s presentation on improving the social contract. It’s an idea ahead of its time, but its time has come. https://youtu.be/CyGWML6cI_k
1
The binary choice is Sophie's Choice.
3
American border sovereignty policy should not be complicated. It should simply be to (Repel) to drive or force back, to push back, to thrust back people illegally trying to enter the Homeland. All the insane alternate reality, radical Left social construct gibberish about refugees is destroying America. Rational people understand reality. America has no moral duty to become the refugee camp for the world's poor. They're not stupid. Repel the invasion. Save America.
13
@Screenwritethis
I bet there were people who said the exact same thing about your ancestors when they immigrated to this country. The irony is that the people you wish to repel are indigenous to North America and have been migrating across the continent for thousands of years. Your ancestors likely originated in Europe. Europeans came over, and in a relatively short period, damaged and displaced the natives. And now their ancestors are telling the indigenous they don't belong. Such hypocrisy!
9
It's not clear why the judge gave the administration until Friday to stop forcing asylum seekers back into Mexico. In addition, what happens to those already forced into Mexico? Can they now come into the United States to wait for their hearings? Will Trump finally provide more rather than fewer immigration judges to provide for timely, or at least more timely, immigration hearings? Will they stop the travesty of immigration hearings for toddlers and small children who barely have speech and have no attorneys?
6
Although rarely so vocal these guys have always been here marginalizing and discounting those who do not agree with their gated community mindset, They have no use for the "common good" as it benefits the commoners clearly defined as those with any sort of skin tone beyond that which accompanies flaxen hair.
Wew may have come a long way, but we still have a way to go.
3
To the extent that PT contends asylum is a scam, or is abused, or both - putting aside validity, legality, decency, effectiveness of the techniques he has/would employ for combating these purported problems - this observer respectfully submits that PT owes Americans and the Congress and the world a persuasive demonstration - written, spoken, logical, reasonable, supported by evidence and experts - before proceeding.
We should not have to rely only on his unsupported assertions of scam and abuse, reinforced by chants such as "lock them up," "split them up," "send them back;" and if he does not make that case so as to clearly elicit the country's concurrence, he should simply abandon the undertaking.
7
Just last night, I listened to a telephone town hall with Tom Rice, SC District 7 Congressman, who fully supports Mr. Trump on this and other initiatives. I'm well beyond disgusted with him as well as Trump.
No one is above the law, much as Trump believes he is. We are not being "flooded" with immigrants. We are being asked to grant asylum to people fleeing violence and fearing death in their own countries.
Jailing children and their parents indefinitely while they await a hearing for asylum is surely inhumane and unnecessary, as is making them wait in Mexico.
What happened to that kindly America of my youth, where we treated others as we wanted to be treated? Mr. Trump may never have lived there, but I did and I want to see it return.
17
It is not about illegal immigration. It is about hostile response of the USA to those seeking asylum. That involves different laws and humane treatment.
15
We need to change the stupid law that says kids cannot be held in detention with family after 20 days. Keep the kids with their families in detention! If they are truly asylum worthy, they are thrilled to be in detention - a safe place with food, shelter, and healthcare. Do not apply your own view of what life should look like - these folks have it much better than they did (again, if truly asylum worthy) and vastly much better than refugee camps around the middle east where there are real wars and terror from being bombed, etc.
8
The problem is Govt. officials not being held personally responsible for executing unlawful orders from the President. He is above the law, we know as much, because of an arbitrary and undemocratic Justice Dept. internal regulation and irresponsible partisan support in Congress. But his officials shouldn't be. Restraining orders do nothing to them. They go at it again in a slightly different way. They get new appointees willing to break the law again. If you were caught speeding and got a restraining orders saying: "do not break the speed limit!" what would that do?
7
I don't think it's about immigration any longer or Hispanic people fleeing violence and instability in their home countries.
What worries me most about the president of the United States is is "anger;" his "fury;" his "seething" at the legal restraints that law and custom and decency have placed upon him.
When a president is as out-of-control angry as Donald Trump is, it's way past that time that we reconsider to just what frightening lengths he may resort to achieve his personal goals. Nothing he does or says is for the good of the United States. He is as angry as it's possible for a person in the perilous position in which we, to our everlasting shame, have placed him.
I once heard it said that "the storm of anger blows out the lamp of intelligence." When we have someone in possession of the nuclear codes; of all the nation's secrets; have placed a trust in his faculties so that we may not turn inward upon ourselves--as we have clearly done under Donald Trump--then we are playing Russian roulette with our past, our present and our future.
We are in dangerous hands, my fellow Americans. There is no other way to describe this presidency. And it's going to get a lot scarier.
146
@Red Sox, ‘04, ‘07, ‘13, ‘18
Trump may be PT Barnum..., but the real circus (travesty) is the GOP, ...make no mistake how history will record this.
15
@Red Sox, ‘04, ‘07, ‘13, ‘18
You are right, Sox. The pot is full of us frogs, the water's slowly heating, and we're used to the heat now.
10
@Red Sox, ‘04, ‘07, ‘13, ‘18
Red Sox, when you conclude, “There is no other way to describe this presidency.“ — actually, Red, “It’s Even Worse Than You Think” [as David Cay Johnston writes] — “There is no other way to describe this Empire and Emperor Trumpius”.
We can’t be an EMPIRE
7
The Roman Catholic Church should refuse to provide confession to the Border Patrol Agents and ICE agents, what they do is unholy.
4
@AusTex The Roman Catholic church lobbies to make abortion and birth control illegal. They should apologize to all of us and have their assets confiscated to pay for it all.
2
I see some comments here in support of the president. I'm surprised that anyone in this day and age can support his attitude about people who got here JUST LIKE the other commenters. You guys are all the progeny of people who immigrated (unless you are a NATIVE American). I don't understand how this president manages to bring out the hate and evil in others. Hate crimes are up, especially in areas where he speaks. Is this the kind America I grew up with? Not at all. This is just like Hitler's Germany when blaming Jews was justification for all sorts of evil. Is that really where we want to go? Because that's the direction we're headed.
20
Binary choice = Sophie's choice
4
A Marshall Plan for Central and South America would solve the “issue” at the border. It would do it legally and morally. But Trump always chooses the “tough guy” approach to appease his base and his own ego.
106
@EW: under Dump's thumb that Marshall Plan will simply consist of dropping rolls of paper towels on them and call it a 'great' job, a super 'bigly' job, so 'great', the 'greatest' in the world...But otherwise it's a good idea - at the very least it's an idea.
6
@EW
Your idea will cost money. A lot of it. Are you willing to have your taxes raised? I am. If it guarantees an end to the illegal alien issue once and for all.
That means a wall, a fence, more border agents, and most critically...Mandatory E-Verify coupled with massive fines and/ or jail time for anyone, including corporate executives, caught hiring illegals.
One other caveat. The aid to the Central and South America MUST include birth control.
Enough is enough.
10
@EW The Marshall plan worked to rebuild previously prosperous countries reduced to bits by the war. People knew how things were, and, given resources, they rebuilt as opposed to, say, starve. In South America problems are of a different complexity than "we were just bombed to bits and we need to rebuild everything". I am on your side as far as thinking the tough approach helps nobody, but comparisons between Haiti and Germany are not going to go very far.
9
Binary choice? Disgusting and shameful. High time to force Mr. Miller to answer a few hard questions under oath on national television before a House panel, preferably one led by AOC. We did not elect this guy. (But then again we didn’t really elect the other guy either.)
26
This article should be coupled with the one also in today's paper about the trump organizations hiring practices. Total hypocrisy of this family is stunning. They have been hiring undocumented people for years.
But, as to this article I think it shows that this person occupying the WH with his limited understanding of law, rules, or anything to do with the Constitution is most certainly not the one coming up with Machiavellian ideas. trump is under putin's foot, is tied to Saudi Arabia monetarily, and he can't even put together a coherent statement. Oranges anyone?
The real leader appears to be Stephen Miller as every single thing that comes out of trump's mouth is scripted by Miller. Miller is the base, speaks for the base and writes for the base. trump is not religious, not anti-abortion, and not truthful about anything. It's all about this god awful base.
And Miller makes it all possible.
15
Bad times are coming to America if even Trump can't help.
4
What a shame your companion article today, on the Trump organization’s illegal staffing problems at the Florida properties didn’t have a comment section. There, ‘catch and release’ seems to be the order of the day; catch illegal employees, release them and help find them new jobs.
Turning to legal immigration, the H-2B program, will allow the Trump organization to hire 148 immigrants for the 2018-19 season. That’s 148 Americans who won’t be hired; 148 possible students who will have to look elsewhere to save for college; 148 mothers, fathers, who won’t get to work for $11 an hour.
Every Democrat in the House and Senate should have a T-shirt with the number 148 on it. We aren’t “full”. We have room for 148 more people. For $11 an hour. Painting, spraying pesticides, mowing, cleaning. And those lucky 148 don’t have to wait by the road to be picked up daily.
148 of this president’s base- that won’t be hired this year. MAGA.
6
@Jo Williams Sure it is the apex of hypocrisy, but claiming that immigrants are the problem at a time of almost full employment is completely irrational. We need to understand why immigrants can compete for jobs that locals can't get; why mobility is down and how to increase it or move jobs where people want to leave. Just saying #jobless = #immigrants doesn't explain anything. Plus, with companies willing to relocate wherever work is cheapest and retailer able to import from wherever goods are cheapest, immigration is a red herring. You can have a fully anglo-german heritage country, with all companies relocated abroad and all goods and services that can be imported imported and 90% unemployment. What would that solve other than making the prosperity of China (which it has already, and I am happy for them)?
3
The separation of children from their parents is a crime against humanity and should this policy be reinstated the American people must rise up in protest by taking to the streets and the failure to do so will make us complicit in this evil.
11
@Lawrence Garvin I agree but you need to propose something. With people around the world using kids as VISA, we need a policy. It's a tough situation even if we had competent and compassionate leadership.
7
Trump promotes lawlessness. Up until now he has gotten away with blaming liberal judges feeding the right's hostility to government. The problem will come home to roost when the inevitable Dem. take over comes. Then the right will lament that government is too powerful. Trump can only see to the tip of his nose. They will not see that the culprit is Rep. disrespect for the constitutional separation of powers.
4
Trump thinks that he is above the law, and he behaves more like a totalitarian dictator than the President in a democratic republic. Trump is purging the administration of people willing to do truly awful and cruel things, but only so long as those awful acts are legal. He needs people who will carry out any order he gives--not just the immoral ones, but also the immoral AND illegal ones.
I'm having some history class flash-backs, and they are not good.
And, both Michael Cohen and James Comey likened Trump to a mob boss. That is looking more accurate every day.
Meanwhile, over in Congress, Republicans are fighting to cover-up the Mueller Report, to hide Trump's tax returns, and we hear crickets when it comes to Trump's malicious cruelty against helpless children--or his purge of people who won't break the law for him.
No decency. No shame. How long can this go on? How many children will be terrorized to please Trump?
12
wonder if Trump supporters realize that, while he talks endlessly about building a big wall to keep illegals out, he and his family were hiring thousands of illegal workers over the years. He talked of mandating companies use E-Verify while his companies never did.
Do you think Fox is reporting on this? He thinks he is above any law. When are people going to understand he is not a king? He needs to follow any law that we have to. He was elected President to serve us, he works for us. Just like the Atty Gen is the top legal enforcer for the USA, not Donald Trump's personal Atty.
These are the laws. Just because people do not like truths does not mean they are lies.
11
Who benefits from unfettered, endless amounts of millions of illegal immigrants??
Not the average American.
Why are some so into letting them into our country and staying permanently? What 20 million plus is not enough? No mas.
13
@cf Remember, the option is that the same elites that are hiring illegal immigrants for a pittance moving their firms abroad, or their supply chains. You can have a million immigrants here or a million Chinese making iphones in China (check out Foxconn). We don't come out as winners just by stopping immigrants. Salaries don't go up just by stopping immigration. It's the elites who skillfully redirected your anger towards mexicans while they were moving another piece of the supply chain to China. If iphones were made by 1M latinos in this country vs 1M Chinese in theirs, what difference does it make to you? Well, at least the immigrants have to get food, doctors, pay taxes here. China just cashes in.
5
If I were to take children from their families, I'd be labeled a kidnapper.
If I kept children in chain-link cages I'd be a labeled a child abuser.
Doing it under the law as an expressed desire to intimidate and punish lawful asylum seekers in a brutal attempt to intimidate others, I'd be labeled President of the United States.
19
@Bob Woods People are separated from their children all the time when they engage in criminal actions. It is criminal to engage in child smuggling.
1
Just to be clear, the family separation policy is child abuse and neglect and last I knew this was against the law. The blatant cruelty in the administrations' policies is stunning. And still congress does nothing as this all spirals out of control.
Shameful.
22
Go to Appalachia. Trump country. Look around at the shuttered mines, the deserted towns, the surrounding green hills. And tell me this country is full. We're so far from full it's ridiculous.
8
@Samuel Russell....Not to mention Nebraska, the Dakotas, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Wyoming, Montana, etc; all you have to do is drive cross-country and see how much space there is.
2
It is blatantly false to state that tougher new efforts to stem the tsunami of illegals at our southern border are anti-immigrant. It is also verifiably false to assert that dividing families according to Flores/ACLU policies in effect long before the current administration took office is a return to actions conceived purely by this President. Creating revisionist versions of this serious issue is both misleading and offensive to the news-consuming public.
9
If a person becomes an "illegal" when they break the law then Trump is without doubt an illegal.
8
Donald Trump has yet to even try to identify the underlying problems associated with Central American emigration (severe drought, too many guns, extreme poverty) and to address them through diplomatic channels
Sorry this guy is a train wreck.
2020 cant get here soon enough.
9
If the President issues an executive order ending birthright citizenship, his real goal is to get impeached. He won't be removed and his base will be fired up enough to re-elect him next year. Impeachment is central to Trump's re-election strategy.
3
@Jason Galbraith
Exactly, if he ends birthright citizenship, then he himself will no longer be a citizen, and therefore cannot be President.
2
Why not clearly differentiate difference between anti-immigrant and anti-illegal immigrants. There is a clear differentiation, seems like an assault on common sense here.
13
"a judge blocked Mr. Trump’s efforts to force asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases proceed — a practice that immigration advocates called inhumane and illegal."
Why exactly? What's wrong with being in Mexico? Why aren't more migrants seeking asylum in Mexico? It's far safer than the countries the migrants are coming from, which meets the standard for asylum, and shares language and culture with them. I understand why they'd prefer to be in the U.S. But why is it "inhumane" for them to wait on the Mexican side, while we figure out whether or not we can generously make their dreams come true by giving them a chance to live in our country?
22
@Samuel Russell ... very sensible indeed, but much too sensible for today's fervid political ambiance.
10
@Samuel Russell
Maybe because of this:
More than 2,009 homicides have occurred in 2018 compared to 1,647 recorded in 2017. In Tijuana Mexico
By NBC 7 Staff and Telemundo 20 Staff
3
@Samuel Russell There's over a hundred million people there. If it's all unsafe, then clearly all one hundred million Mexicans should be allowed to move here. That's insane.
2
The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) stipulates that a soldier should not follow an unlawful order. The President is pushing for his appointees to break the law.
Shouldn't there be a similar code for those who serve the President?
9
Welcome to the Stephen Miller presidency.
12
I'm a bleeding heart liberal who understands that we are a nation of immigrants, and is for increased immigration. With that said, a nation has the right to regulate who enters it, a right to control its own border, and the right to give preferential treatment to applicants who have desirable skills and education as it sees fit.
There are 600 million people living south of our border, and while many of them may not be interested in emigrating to America, quite a few are. If they believe it is only a matter of arriving at the border and requesting asylum, many more will try. Meanwhile, like it or not, the crush of low-skilled, non-English-speaking people does put a lot of strain on the schools and social services where they settle.
Meanwhile, the industries that are going to provide the high paying jobs of the future need people with STEM degrees. Our immigration policy should be offering international students with desirable degrees the ability to fast-track to citizenship when they graduate. Those are the people who are going to innovate, create jobs, and keep America competitive.
My problem isn't entire with what Trump is doing, but HOW he is doing it. If he wasn't such a racist, ugly man with no regard for the rule of law, it would be much easier to support some of the things he is doing. Unfortunately, the moment he calls immigrants rapists, murderers, or worse, he loses all support from me. Who know a dumb rich kid from Queens would lack tact?
21
@Steve Acho I agree with most of what you said. I am also a liberal.
9
@Steve Acho I think if conservatives phrased the problem the way you have, it would be easier to find solution to hard problems, like scaling the asylum process to the current demands. But there are plenty of low-skilled jobs in agro and construction, and companies just not willing or able to pay the top dollars to get locals to work there. This theory that it's only STEM jobs that we need does not rest on evidence.
2
At some point Congress will be held accountable for the ludicrous immigration laws they’ve enacted. Their refusal to amend them in order to stanch the record number of migrants claiming “asylum” at our border only reinforces the belief among ordinary Americans that the status quo benefits them. Democrats and republicans alike are complicit in perpetuating what is obviously a broken system. Democrats see it as a means to expand the roll of government dependents and with it their own power. Republicans see it as a way to insure a fresh supply of cheap laborers to mow the lawns and wash dishes of their wealthy constituents.
While the open border crowd insults anyone daring to restore order to our immigration system with accusations of racism and bigotry they ignore the cost in human services and opportunity lost to those who have gained citizenship the old fashioned way. Tellingly, not one of those defending the existing system is able to offer a metric indicating that an uncontrolled influx of low skill, uneducated masses benefits those already here, struggling to achieve the American dream.
Politicians and media intent upon cowering in their own sanctimonious echo chamber are ignoring lessons the 2016 election taught us. When representatives stop listening to their constituents, they will turn to someone who does. With latino and black unemployment at record lows and polls indicating a dramatic increase in their support of president Trump, it’s clear they believe he is.
20
Any culture that encourages and rewards large families is a recipe for future poverty and the resultant crime. We are already seeing the results in the US when people have more babies than they can afford to feed and educate.
In some cities with large populations of poor people, hospitals have closed emergency rooms because they can't afford to provide so much free care. In California, schools that were in the top levels of the nation, academically, now appear at the bottom. We need some immigrants, but we don't need every person who lives across the southern border. Better to attack the problem where it begins: subsidize business and industry in those crime ridden countries so the people want to stay home. It would cost less than the alternatives that are being considered. The President is reacting to a border crisis, so Congress needs to get serious and stop pointing fingers. Forty years is how long we've been waiting for someone to solve the problem (since the Reagan Amnesty).
16
@Daphne . A wall and hysteria are not going to help any problem we have. Hysteria is what Trump sells. He divides liberals and conservatives. I agree that money needs to be sent there, but because Trump had a hissy fit, he wants to send less over there.. He doesn't want to solve the problem, he wants to create chaos. Believe it or not, he is not well. His reaction to things are not what a rational person would do. If you listen to him talk, he believes he was elected King...he can't do whatever he wants.
4
@Sharon
You're right about the chaos and probably right about the cause. He always comes back to the wall because it was a campaign promise, and he can't remember the others.
3
Is the Hague full? Asking for a dying country.
11
@Kristin
will any country take Americans who want to immigrate out of the dictatorship that is becoming America? I do not look like a UFC fighter but I am beginning to fear for my life as a non-trump supporter.
3
Kamala is the solution. She understands immigration since her father is Jamaican and her mother is Indian. Kamala is from California where my kids go to school. My kids class is 70 percent Mexican and Central American, 10 percent Asian, and 10 percent AA, and whites are a small minority at 10. This is the future composition of the USA. What do Republicans not understand about these numbers? These people are the demographic future of the USA. The USA has undergone a dramatic transition over the last 50 years. I believe Kamala understands how the future will look. Not Trump. The people in the Trump administration don't look like the America I live in.
10
@as Kamala is one solution. There are many fine democrats running. They understand the future, even if they weren't there. No one person is the answer. I do like her though
3
@as
Why would you believe that is America’s ethnic composition based on your limited geography?
Look at the voting statistics. That isn’t remotely accurate.
I live in the most densely populated state in the union and it’s Latino population is only 18%. The national average is 16%.
4
Although apprehensions at the border have spiked upward recently, they are less than half the rate which occurred in 2000. The vast majority of people seeking asylum are not entitled to it. Seeking a better life, while understandable, even admirable, does not entitle one to asylum. The problem is what we do with all the people and Trump has no answers. Dump Trump in 2020 and we can start working on real solutions.
18
@EJS If you dump Trump, you get a Democrat as president, and the Democrats want as much illegal immigration as possible, since illegal immigrants will vote for the party that gives them (or for sure their US-born children) the right to vote. The Democrats don't like the current make-up of the US populace and they want to change it; that's all you need to know.
4
@james Can't the same be said about the GOP (gerrymandering, disenfranchisement)? Politicians will do what they can do to stay in power. We need to remove these decision from the partisan fray to achieve long lasting solutions. It's not which party will do what. Give them a chance to stay in power and they will take it.
3
I just cannot understand why Trump & Congress don't embark on aa comprehensive reform of our immigration program so that everyone is clear on how this will work in the U.S? Certainly, this is a better approach than breaking our own laws and brutalizing poor people who show up at the border lawfully.
It might also help to come down on employers who knowingly hire illegals and break the laws. If there weren't jobs for these illegals, I doubt they would come here. But they come confident of their employability. Punishing employers, perhaps even threatening asset forfeiture, would shut down this significant lure.
It's clear why Trump doesn't use his leadership to push for comprehensive reform. Reform would take away his his leading campaign issue & then he'd have to go back to birtherism or Obama wiretaps.
42
@macktan--trump has a comprehensive policy for immigration. It starts off with you cant enter the country illegally. Yet liberal population and liberal judges dont understand this policy because it is fundamentally based on a system of laws currently in place that they dont like. So their response is to flout the law, create sanctuary cities and states, to issue restraining orders on the govt and to then attempt to say that they have the moral high ground so theres no need for them to have to obey the laws currently on the books.
Even Obama made little to no attempt to "reform" immigration. He just wanted to "pardon" everyone who broke the laws. And therein summarizes the liberal approach to laws they dont like.
29
@bored critic
Trump's "comprehensive policy" includes routinely hiring scores of undocumented workers and employing them for as long as he can get away with it.
I guess us liberals can't figure out that rank hypocrisy is soooo MAGA. Do as I say, not as I do. Words speak louder than actions. And all the rest of the shameless MAGA brand.
PS: Obama deported more immigrants than any of his predecessors, including Reagan and W.
PPS: Obey the laws on the books? Does that include Internal Revenue Code Section 6103(f), which requires the Secretary of the Treasury to hand over Trump's tax returns to the House Ways & Means Committee when asked? Which only requires a written demand, and not any explanation?
39
Never fails for the Truper talking point to somehow bring up President Obama as a defense. Interesting that trump wants the Government make the choice on whether a woman has a child or not. After said child is born, trump could care less about kids going so far as to construct concentration to house children he separates from parents. Don’t wait on the Republicans in the senate to do anything, they are a rubber stamp.
15
And the leaders of the GOP continue to support Trump. History will not be kind.
12
What we are witnessing, Trump's behaving like a despot from 1920's and '30's Europe, should not be normalized like we have been doing with so much of his behavior.
His behavior must be called out for what it is-despotic, with some of it the result of counsel from sycophants he's surrounded himself with.
With that said, Stephen Miller comes to mind.
17
“...he is preparing to unleash an even fiercer assault on immigration”
The author meant to write “assault on lawlessness”. As far as I can see, Trump has changed no policies towards lawful immigration: there was a ceremony last month in my building for new citizens. Grateful people, too.
11
@NorthernVirginia We’ll just take it as an article of faith that the “assault on lawlessness” won’t involve prosecuting the Trump Organization for hiring undocumented workers.
5
When the the majority of Congress separates their duty as representative legislators from their pandering and greed and the press separates it's love of headlines and optics from the news and uncorroborated fantasy, I'll start to take the criticism of the principle of changing things until they work employed by President Trump seriously.
2
@CNNNC: 1) when American parents break the law and are separated from their children, the children remain in their own bed in their home, supported by family, friends, neighbors, and teachers. They are not whisked away to unknown places, nor housed in cages. 2) the U.S. cannot arrest people for breaking American laws while they were in another country.
7
@Louisa Glasson
You are unfamiliar with American courts. Any person standing trial for a jailable offense who shows up with a child will be informed that, if he is found guilty, he will go to jail and the child will be placed in a temporary foster home until a family member can come get the child. That can be for hours or months.
10
@NorthernVirginia
But they aren't out in a detention centre, in a cage. And their parent know where they are.
No equivalence.
3
Trump thinks he’s still on the reality show, Apprentice. He just fires people for sport.
9
I just don’t get it. We have thousands upon thousands of people at our southern borders trying to get into our country illegally, and the president is the bad guy? If they were armed, it would be called war. But think of it: many thousands of Hondurans, Guatemalans and Salvadorans just woke up one morning and decided to make the thousands of miles trek to the U.S. border?! Does that not sound ridiculous? Someone or ones need to be behind this assault on our country. These are not legitimate asylum seekers. Their countries of origin may be corrupt and violent for many, but take your pick of these from around the globe. In fact, a better case can probably be made for minorities in other nations who are under constant persecution. Where previous admins have kicked this ball down the street, Trump is trying to establish a sensible immigration policy, even while enormous pressure is being put upon our nation at its southern borders. The do-nothing Democrats in the Congress seem more interested in investigations than helping the president deal with this crisis, trying to get political gain from the whole mess. I know in my get that the president has the approval of the majority of American voters on this issue. After all, what sane person would not prefer a systematic and legal procedure for entering our country, instead of this assault on our borders?
24
@Joe Gagen
Just think of it, many thousands of Irish, Gernans, Dutch and English people woke up one day and decided to come to America. They did't ask permission, they didn't get paperwork, they just picked up their children and their lives and came here looking for a better place. We didn't check for visas at Ellis Island. There has never been a "systematic and legal procedure for entering our country". and stop pretending that it would solve any problems.
14
Presenting themselves at our border does not make them illegal.
14
@Joe Gagen
What do you mean, "assault?" Simply presenting oneself at the border and asking for asylum is not an invasion.
And never mind your critique of the Democrats. The GOP didn't give Trump his wall when they held all three levels of government.
These people are no different from the vast majority of our forebears, who arrived seeking a better life. But you now want to lock the door behind you. Nice.
5
Remember all the names associated with this policy. And if we forget, history will remind us.
8
Elizabeth Warren thinks there is a housing crisis and wants the taxpayers to build 3 million new units. And the Dems want a welcome mat to millions of poor uneducated people. Most Americans don't want to live in the 3rd world. But the Dem want to import it to the US.
26
@Reader In Wash, DC
Most of our ancestors came to this country as poor and uneducated immigrants fleeing persecution or poverty and searching for a better life in a free country.
8
@Mark Peasants were more in demand a century or so ago, and there was no welfare paid for by taxpayers.
9
So now the United States will decide who is crueler and cruelest! Like a contest! The Apprentice Cruel Contest!
What a legacy. What explanations for our grandchildren. What immoral compass.
It’s embarrassing to live and be a member of the United States of America today.
20
The migrants are fleeing over population. The countries they are fleeing were once beautiful. Now there is shacks and people on every acre. And they still have more babies. The population is increasing. The US has become the overpopulation overflow country. This isn’t sustainable and is just dangerous for the whole world.
22
While white folks have a Freudian level imputus to avoid fessing forthrightly up to the fact that racism is the heartbeat of trump’s immigration policy, writ-large colored folks court disaster doing so!
That it is not just in place that Blut supersedes Boden in trump’s and miller’s Blut und Boden nationalism should put all colored folks, including the “model” ones, on notice. Woe to those snared by the magical allure of its faux inclusivity. Such are its siren-song blandishments that even stephen miller foolishly thinks the lessons of history have been overwritten and he is now securely ensconced into the ranks of the Ubermensch!
As the Wiemar theologian Martin Niemoller so eloquently warned, in the Blut-und-Boden world, if you ain’t just white, but the right white, your time in the barrel is too coming!
4
If Trump is allowed to continue his war on democracy and the rule of law we may become the immigrants wandering the world looking for asylum.
18
@joyce
That's what the Wall is really for. They say it's to keep them out, but it's really to keep us in, someday in the despotic future, just like in East Berlin.
2
His life of violations is becoming rampage against the law.
It would take a devastating event, but if impeachment got to the Senate, abuse of power may be the one offense even Republicans will resist.
9
The very reason that these people are coming to this country is because in there own country they are in danger and hoping for a better life and we treat them the same way as there own country.
This is America and we need to do a better job on immigration.
13
A superior idea of a binary choice for Mr. Trump. Resign tomorrow or go to prison for the rest of your life in January, 2021.
14
@Chuck Burton: and then....hello President Pence!
1
Hello,
there is quite a lot happening your side, I can't fully follow to crit effectively.
Yet of this, a binary choice policy, which is highly controversial ... that caught my feelings.
I'm unsure of U.K. attitudes too, yet we recentky had as called but the Windrush issue of Caribean migrants etc.; it smacked of a racist fuelled U.K. policy on our legal residents and more.
Well, l will express concern that though immigration laws differ between U.S. and U.K., in part. The lean towards this pernicious and in fact outright hostile attitude is showing markedly in spots European as well as us.
We'd best get a grip on this. You have the southern border and we have our channel and European the Mediterranean. We're loosiing migrants in the Med. The EU is drawing blanks on it as Italy esp. turn NGO or resucing ships away and again, life is lost.
This is my point, what value life?
It's overt and blatent now to see and read of all this accross our political right-wings wherever. And may I end with my own anecdotal ref: one lady l spoke to said it was "natural" for Mediterranean deaths and even the causes. Such as war.
we really had best get a grip...and on your neighbours and so forth attitudes too.
Thanks.
4
Something lefties fail to acknowledge is the fear and loathing that are felt by our fellow Americans under the MAGA caps. Their fear and loathing may be unfounded, but it is nonetheless real and there to be manipulated by demagogues.
The left fails to acknowledge that simply informing the MAGAS about facts such as those presented in this article is very unlikely to change that fear and loathing. First, because it stems from ideology; and second, because they are receiving other information, presented as facts, from other sources that are much more enervating and believable to them because it comes from their own ideological brethren.
These folks are scared, threatened, worried. They likely love America as much as any American does, and they likely think that their viewpoints are constructive and good for America. The more we dismiss and ridicule them, the stronger and more numerous they become--and lefties thereby ensure a second Trump administration.
When is the last time you listened to a MAGA-hatted citizen, really listened and tried to understand? Not just "heard the words" while mentally composing your dismissive retort? You (and I) may feel more compassion for an asylum seeking Honduran family than for a right-wing bigot but...try harder. They both deserve compassion; we all do. And until that compassion and understanding develops, and communication begins, we have but few tools with which to work on the issues that threaten peace.
8
@William Romp
Preposterous..I am not fearful and don’t loathe anything.
5
While Trump continues to lock children separated from their parents in cages and forgets them and does not keep records on them so they are stuck in limbo, the human tragedy is such that the US is creating its own home grown terrorists of the future. Inhuman treatment of thousands of immigrants and their families does not make the future safer, or solve the problem of South American drugs and cartels and murder. Trump and his wall and cages are a cartoon thugs way of looking at a human tragedy, sensationaizing it, going at it with a club instead of a brain, and politicizing it for his reefection bid. When did cruelty, stupidity and ham handed brute force become fashionable as a solution? Trump cannot work with people for a solution because he only wants to increase his own publicity in any way possible. Breaking things up like families and smashing things like children who are helpless are his cartoon like style. Those who elected him and go along with him are unable to see beyond the smoke and mirrors. Trump is unable to solve anything. He is only good at making a sensation in the news.
13
@joycewe do not allow American Children to accompany their parents to jail when their American parents are arrested..there is zero difference..
6
The nativist racism displayed by the "president" and the person responsible for keeping America pure and white is coming to full force, Miller.
The actions of this administration is appalling and shameful.
The braying the country is full, stated by the chief nativist, is laughable (if the country is full then Ms. Trump's parents should not have been able to avail themselves of "chain migration").
Yes, there is a immigration problem. I have said it before and will say it again-if it is such a crisis then why hasn't Congress acted? No, don't blame the Democrats as the GOP had majority control of both legislative chambers for the first two years of the Trump circus.
13
How these Border Patrol agents sleep at night is beyond me. Under no religion I know of is such callous disregard for human suffering and lack of charity. If these agents do believe in what they are doing I hope they cannot sleep at night. As far as the excuse "I am only doing my job" I would say there are plenty of other jobs out there, ones that don't involve persecution of the powerless.
I am positive none will ever read this comment.
9
We had many family separations for American citizens too. Its called when you the parent break the law, you go to jail, and your children go someplace else. Why should it be any different for those who break the immigration laws? BTW..Obama started the family separation policy...
18
@Mike
Immigrants seeking asylum are not breaking the law.
Domestic child services are not “losing” children in the system.
Why so cruel?
18
@Mike By the way Obama did not start the family separation policy. Unaccompanied minors were detained. That is a far cry from what the current administration is doing.
5
@MikeFox News talking point. That is all the MAGA folks have. They don't seem to have any ideas of their own. Whenever they are challenged they have to resort to "Obama! Clinton's emails!".
2
Next up, Trump to sign executive order to demolish the Statue of Liberty and use the scrap metal to help build his wall.
Until it's removed, he'also signing another executive order to redact the following from the pedestal upon which it sits:
"Give me your tired, your poor,
our 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!"
6
Just a little over 75 years ago, England literally ruled the world.
How's England doing today? They are now the Banana Islands of N Europe.
Give it another 50 years, it will be our turn, except we will mired in upheaval and civil war.
Our children and grand children-no doubt in my mind-will pay dearly for our sins.
6
How about we arrest anyone who employs undocumented workers? After all, aren’t they breaking the law as well. Establish a pattern and send them for 6 months in jail. Start with Trump.
28
@SXM The arrest would involve Trump as his organization in the past had directly hired undocumented workers, and now, the companies he outsourced his labor needs to has also hired undocumented workers.
2
@SXM
If we did that the jails would be full and the economy would come to a screeching halt. Half the restaurants in NYC would close, as well as most of the farms upstate.
1
@SXM And then arrest Bernie who opening hires illegal immigrants to work on his campaign.
So it's okay if a US citizen breaks a law, goes to jail and is separated from her child. But if the same thing happens to an illegal immigrant it's a sin - why exactly?
18
@Sue Seeking asylum is not illegal.
2
@Nancy Dellaria I think it's illegal if you're lying because you're not actually eligible for asylum. Or if you skipped several safe countries where you legally could seek asylum but chose instead to come to the country with the greatest financial benefit
4
Trump may be PT Barnum..., but the real circus (travesty) is the GOP, ...make no mistake how history will record this.
8
Everyday a Trump poorly made decision with long lasting effects. It has gone on since he was sworn in and will continue until he is out of office. I hope sadly no matter who it is we elected will be anyone except Commander in Chief Twittler. I hope someone will be able to at least start some sorely needed damage control. I am now stilled shocked by what is happening in every decision he makes as it is to make him great again but at what cost to the rest of us. We have a whole lot of people who are drinking the coolaid. This reminds me of Jim Jones except here in the good old USA not everyone is drinking it. Everyone who is horrified by this man needs to vote in November.
5
I marvel at how the evangelicals rationalize Trump. Sure, the end justifies the means. That works for awhile. But, really, isn't their acceptance of this man a clear indication that they have abandoned all pretense of holding to Christian principles, like love and family, in favor of political principles? For a long time, I thought they were preoccupied with reproductive and, then, prosperity theology, but now I'm not sure what their goal is. My guess is they have more in common than they would think with promoters of sharia law.
6
I know we have for years had people coming on or trying from below the Mexican/American border.
And maybe I missed it, but 'caravans'?, with people who have to know that the present president of this country have such/much contempt for below the border inhabitants and other brown skinned folks, that one has to wonder, why bother.
I wonder who started and paid for the gathering of this caravan of people, especially the trucks used, and gas for that over a thousand miles trip.
The drivers, are they doing this for free?
On a episode of VICE NEWS there was one driver who said he would be headed back to bring even more people.
Really?
What's on it for him?
They even provided food for these people along this journey.
Someone with big pockets and money to burn is financing this.
And one has to ask, in the end, who does the rhetoric of detouranse of this caravan, benefit?
4
I have several suggestons
1. Force Mexico to sign a 3rd party agreement like we have with Canada/ To force them to sign I would suggest we ban Mexico goods from the US via a very very high tariff or ban remittances. We have to hurt them in the pocket book.
2 I would punish Central America coumtires by denying them visas, citting them off from any sort of aid from the uS until they make a effort to force the caravans to remain. Also we should deny visas to NGOs who work there. In short totally Isolate them.
3. Inside the US we should follow EUrope and set up refugee camps where they must stay until their case is decided. Bring judges to the border so we can run through the cases in a hurry. And make illegal entry part of the grounds for which we can deny asylum.
4, Hurry up wtih executive orders to restrain the migrants in camps for 90-120 days during which time you guarantee to resolve their immigration cases.
11
It is absurd to think, as Donald does, that we have too many people in our country.
Our country is the third largest country in the world and has about 327 million people as of 2017. China is the forth largest country and has about the 1,386 billion people, also as of 2017.
The USA has the largest economy in the world, and China has the second largest economy in the world. Both of our economies are doing quite well, although both countries should pay workers much more than they're now earning. Our country, however, does have an Achilles heel.
We have many, many small cities and towns in need of many more workers. They can't get these workers without immigrants.
Donald's view on the issue of immigrants is totally short sighted and stupid. We need more immigrants, not fewer.
13
@W. Michael O'Shea
Trump was referring to the fact there is no longer enough room in ICE detention centers to hold illegal border crossers. The United States is catching and releasing illegal border crossers because the detention centers are full up.
2
Why always twist his words to ameliorate them? A rational person might be trying badly to say what you suggest. Trump, on the other hand meant exactly what he said.
@W. Michael O'Shea You're flat out crazy. This country is a cesspool of overpopulation that has mostly destroyed our forests and waterways. We are facing infrastructure burdens, waste disposal, pollution, and lack of resources (think water) directly linked to the doubling of our population in just a few decades. What we really need is a change of tax policy to distribute wealth better - not more hands grabbing at the pie. The US did fine with much less than half the population we have now, and could do so again with ease - and the country would be a much nicer place!
6
Not a single bill coming out of the Democratic House. How about the Congress passing a a few incremental immigration reform bills that might get by the Senate. That puts Trump on the spot, Veto or sign. Maybe even kick up a couple of billion for a border wall and tie some simple immigration fixes to it maybe even DACA. Or is the truth that both side want this mess to continue to harangue each other with.
11
@mkm There were no bills that I can remember that came from either house during the time the GOP held the majority in both houses during six years of Obama and the first two years of Trump.
So, want to try again and blame the Democrats?
10
@Dan So electing a Democratic controlled house was no different than having a Republican control house. Brilliant analysis Dan.
3
@mkm
There was just such a bill last year passed by the House and the Senate (i.e. McConnell) refused to vote on it because Trump who originally said he would sign it reneged! That bill had DACA and $25,000,000,000 for the wall! But Trump was afraid his base wouldn't like DACA. Or was it Hannity and Coulter that got him to renege?
At some point Trump will publicly reject the orders of a judge creating a “real” constitutional crisis, especially when the Senate Republicans support his actions ...
5
Donald Trump will remain enthralled by Stephen Miller - will not break with the xenophobic presidential advisor - because Miller does not actually do anything. He does not run anything, command any staff platoons, uphold any laws.
Miller can constantly reinforce Trump's worst instincts. He can call, cajole and bully any number of department chiefs to close the borders and such. He can pen any amount of anti-immigrant screed-speeches. But Stephen Miller is not the one who would violate U.S. laws, court orders and our Constitution just by doing what Trump wants.
Those impossible jobs fall to the likes of DHS, DOJ and State Department administrators, who must always defy Trump in the end because the president insists on impossible, illegal and anti-democratic ends, by whatever means. So they'll continue falling to the presidential axe.
Similarly, the minute the president appoints his top WH aide to an actual job is the day the bromance will begin to sour, Miller will begin to fall out of the president's favor and surely, soon enough, feel the wrath of the president's poison Twitter pen. I can barely wait for the day.
10
What if the 11 million undocumented were given some form of legal status so they can come forth and sponsor family members among current asylum seekers? They would be responsible for ensuring their appearance in court, minimizing “risk” of catch and release policies.
2
I see 2 potential short term solutions. 1) we could follow Mexico's policy and accept them at the border and then supervise their continued caravan straight to Canada. Plenty of open places for them to cross at the northern border into Canada. 2) there must be an island somewhere that we own that is unpopulated or if not that we can lease from another country. Accept all the people at the border and, keeping the families together, provide transport by boat to the island. Supply them with tools and building materials, food and seeds and they can wait on the island until their cases can be heard and decided upon. If it is determined that they are eligible for asylum, then we let them in. If not, they can choose to stay where they are or we will provide transport for them back to their home country. Those who choose to remain will ultimately form a govt. In effect, we would be providing the safe asylum they are seeking and allowing them self determination so that they will be in charge of themselves so that it is now their responsibility to ensure their own freedom and safety. Basically, we're giving them the ability to start their own country. What more could anyone ask for?
This seems humane and yet still follows the immigration laws currently on the books. I would challenge those advocates of open immigration to explain why this would not be a viable option.
6
@bored critic
Actually illegal. The U.S. has signed international treaties like the U.N. Convention against torture that require us to allow merits hearings to determine if the asylum applicant has been persecuted or tortured. If the asylum applicant is found credible, and has not been permanently resettled elsewhere he or she must be allowed to stay in the first country where the person applied for asylum, not shuffled off to Canada. They cannot be sent back to their home country, that is called "refoulment" and illegal. We still benefit from more immigrants as they are entrepreneurs and better educated and more law abiding than the native born citizens in many cases.
6
@bored critic
Your proposal is awful and obtuse.
The sheer cost of transporting tens of thousands of people to "some island somewhere", sustaining them with your proposed tools, building materials and seeds(!) not to mention field hospitals, food, ( after all, seeds do need time to grow) social services, etc. would be astronomical. It would be cheaper and more productive to the economy and the country for people to come into the country, await their asylum cases here and be allowed to work. The vast majority of people who come here seeking asylum do low wage jobs that America needs done, but are unwilling to do ourselves and it has been proven that they draw less on our social service system than Americans ourselves. Also, uninhabited areas are uninhabited for good reason, mostly because they are inhospitable to sustaining a population of any kind. I don't have time to even begin explaining how difficult forming a real government of any kind is.
I sincerely hope you were being really, really sarcastic.
4
Replace the word "immigrants" with the word "jews" and you know where this all originates. These are scary times.
62
@AMM
Not sure what you mean by this comment. If you are insinuating that this is somehow leading to anti-Semitism in the government, you are ignoring the fact that Trump's favorite countries include Israel right along with Saudi Arabia and Russia. And, yes, there is rising anti-Semitism among the far right wing right along with anti- anyone not white (and preferably male!). But many members of Trump's cabinet are Jewish, as are a large number of his advisers, starting with Steven Miller and, of course, Jared.
1
@AMM: Jews did not immigrate illegally to the US (or Israel). Furthermore....the world total number of Jews is only 14 million. We'd only be a tiny drop in the bucket anywhere we went. (About half of those Jews already live in Israel, the Jewish homeland.)
The separation policy we need separates Trump from the presidency.
76
Two despicable people advising Trump on immigration: "Stephen Miller, the architect of Mr. Trump’s immigration agenda and one of the president’s closest advisers in the White House, has been an advocate for a modified version of the family separation policy known as “binary choice.” Others, including Kris Kobach, the former Kansas secretary of state and an informal immigration adviser, and Stephen K. Bannon, the president’s former chief strategist, have also been urging tougher actions."
12
@Charles pack
Good comment but a minor quibble-
I count three despicable people advising Trump in the material you quoted.
6
The rationale behind opposition to Trump on immigration is solely confined to opposition to Trump. This seems a sign of small and often parochial mindedness.
5
The immigration issue is one Trump needs for 2020. Imagine what would happen if there were a solution with Mexico and Central American countries to largely stem the flow of immigrants.What could Trump rant about except maybe the Muslim ban.He needs to identify an enemy, people who will instill fear and loathing in his base.That way he can be the savior, the protector.Incidentally this is playing out in the election in Israel today.Trump has done his best to help Netanyahu annex territory and marginalize the Palestinians.Demonizing the “other” has worked for other candidates-instead of constructive and positive, they are mean and negative.
47
Illegal immigration is like the plague of subway graffiti -- it will persist as long as people think they can get away with it, and will stop only once they conclude that they can't.
As much as I disagree with Donald Trump on most issues, he is right that our current policies are insufficient, even masochistic when it comes to this social plague.
If we're genuinely concerned about the fate of people sneaking across the border, we will close the absurd loopholes that make it seem a good idea, including the granting of "amnesty" to people who cannot be said to warrant it under the traditional use of that term, and most of whose legal appeals fail.
Amnesty is being abused by economic immigrants who hide behind a Catch-22 law that allows them to cross the border and, wielding children and "family separation" as a weapon, disappear into the general population. Along with birthright babies, it's a mockery that must be ended if we are ever to get this problem under control.
46
@Josh Hill
The word is asylum, not amnesty. You have to prove you deserve approval of an asylum application. Trained asylum officers evaluate the evidence and decide if the claim has merit. From Central America the percentage of times that asylum claims are approved is usually under ten percent. Unaccompanied minors with counsel win asylum about 80% of the time.
Birthright citizens are due to the 14th Amendment. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld it many times. The only legit way to change that is a U.S. Constitutional amendment. That requires a 2/3 vote by the House and Senate to approve and ratification by 3/4 of the States. Very hard to achieve.
8
@Michael
I'm not sure about the legal status of birthright citizenship. There is as I understand it evidence that the authors of that amendment did *not* intend it to apply to the children of people who just happened to be here, as opposed to former slaves and then Native Americans who were its intended beneficiaries. But as I recall, the contemporary evidence indicates disagreement even then. Perhaps the Supreme Court would hold that the amendment does not apply in this case.
You're quite right about asylum of course, sorry for the typo.
2
@William Romp It isn't racism to point out that all the south american "immigrants" are legally required to seek and accept "asylum" in MEXICO - not in the US. It matters not what "race" they are - it is their actions that quantify them.
1
All of this trouble began with migrants entering the US illegally and being allowed to do so by American Presidents unwilling or politically unable to stop them. We will never have an orderly and logical immigration system that benefits the US until the illegal activity is stopped.
32
@Larry
We cannot have "an orderly and logical immigration system" as long as employers like Trump routinely hire scores of undocumented workers with impunity.
6
@Larry
Actually illegal entry is far less now than in the 1990 to 2005 period. There was essentially no limits on arriving aliens before 1921. Except Chinese were barred from 1883 to 1943. These immigrants made America great and fueled our economic success.
4
@Garak
OK. let's assign a special task for to stop Trump from hiring illegals. Now what? Take Trump out of the equation. What are your thoughts now?
Mandatory E-Verify for anyone hiring anyone would be a great place to start. Trump or no Trump.
1
If the President again institutes a policy of family seperation, a crime against humanity, the House of Representatives should start impeachment proceedings.
10
Agreed. No forced separation. Lock the kids up with their parents while waiting for their hearing.
14
@Tom Schwartz
Let's have a forced separation program of separating employers of undocumented workers from their business. In other words, seize the business the hires them. Especially Trump properties where Trump staffs them with undocumented workers.
6
There's a lot of outrage expressed here for children being separated from families and for Trump and his policies in general. Very few people are offering any constructive suggestions. 90-95% of the people illegally trying to gatecrash the country here are economic migrants. If 'unrest and extremely high crime rates' in their home countries are grounds for asylum then half of Africa, the middle East and Asia qualifies for asylum in the US. A lot of families are bringing children with them because they think they have a shot of getting in one way or the other. What exactly is the solution here?
36
@Joe O'Malley--the solution is to keep the families together, under guard or in camps, until the case is heard and decided.
3
We simply can’t let the standard for legal immigration be if you can get here you can stay here. We should be making stronger efforts to help solve the problems that motivate people to leave their own countries and families to come to the USA.
16
@Joe O'Malley
Remember history and watch CSpan the immigration issues have been around for over thirty years. Truly brilliant politicians were addressing this issue before it became this nightmare. I go to town hall meetings armed with history asking the candidates what they intend to do. Nothing is new under the sun except the fact that we have historical data that can help us craft another measurable policy and we can see from the past what will and won’t work.
If politicians won’t do there work we need to be ready like lobbyist who write policy anyway to move this needle. We had a government shut down for this issue. Every American was hurt so Trump doesn’t mind destroying the lives of others so he is not the man for the job.
5
Immigration reform needs to take place but whoever is in office has to see it done in a planful sequential manner and the reality which Trump repeatedly denies is that illegal entry is not the crisis he blithely cites in order to rally the political base he needs to be reelected. Binary choice and other hard-ball typical Trump proposals are not only illegal they are immoral, cruel and sadistic. There can be no greater human tragedy than to have one's child taken from a parents arms and tossed into an unknown darkness. And so Trump will rant and one way or another he will make this a political maneuver once again appealing to a frightened, ill informed base, some of them blatant racists and white nationalists while failing to address the bigger humanitarian issues. Knowing full well his tirades and bluster are likely doomed to falter he will nonetheless gloat and whine that the courts, Democratic leadership and fake news are preventing him from stemming the tide of dangerous and unwanted people from entering his Country. As usual is appeal is based on subterfuge and "hyperbole", nothing else really matters to Trump - deranged business as usual.
15
Trumpistas forget that Homeland Security, which Trump is about to dismantle, was created by Republican Pres. Bush to protect us from real terrorists, not women and children seeking asylum.
25
Trump has taken a bad problem and made it infinitely worse. Let’s revisit the bi-partisan immigration legislation that he signaled he would support and that was assured to pass congress that he torpedoed at the last minute, reneging on his word because of Stephen Miller. Let’s also remind ourselves that Trump chose immigration as a political wedge issue and will not under any circumstances accept anything less than a draconian approach to the problem because paramount in his mind is his image as a tough guy. Now he wants to get rid of and ignore all the judges and laws. Stir up fear and hate and use a very big and powerful brush to paint all migrants as duplicitous and the evil enemy. The Fox Fueled base eats it up. The waters are so muddied now, any reasonable voices are being drowned in the chaos. Meanwhile kids are lost, and the human suffering of a vast majority of displaced people goes on. This human tragedy deserves better than Stephen Miller. And as Americans we should demand this administration get the best thinking on this issue in a room somewhere and hash it out.
61
@Rose
Surely you must be kidding. He is not likely to back down and listen to more reasoned voices.
When has he been known to gather people in a room and hash things out?
2
@Rose To be fair, President Trump is running to win a second term in office. No tolerance immigration policy appeals to the narrow xenophobic base whose support he still has.
After they see their taxes he may lose some of them!
3
The majority of Central Americans are economic immigrants, not those in need of the protections our asylum laws are designed to give. Then there is the special problem of these illegal immigrants bringing children with them and most of the children are quite young. Everyone knows this is so they can gain entry, a practice that picked up steam in mid- 2017 when many immigrants with kids were just released into the interior. Those journeys are thousands of miles long and in conditions that are terrible, so it is no surprise that small children will get sick. That posed a special problem. Mexico began offering a very generous humanitarian pass and work visas to most of the immigrants but they are turning that down because they won't make enough money in Mexico. They want to build the big house and buy the big truck in their homeland. Their refusal of Mexico's offer, shows the Central Americans are economic refugees, not fleeing fear. This has become so lucrative that smugglers now advertise that children travel free. The migrants raise upwards of $8K to pay smugglers, who fashion their smuggling trips like sightseeing tours. This isn't the stuff that garners my sympathy.
22
It's time for Stephen Miller to be hauled before a couple of the appropriate House Committees to be questioned about the propriety of his and their actions.
...ditto Kobach "informal advisor" and former wherever and whatever he is doing these days. It's time for Kobach to find a formal job, in the private sector.
11
According to the Department of Justice, a sitting president cannot be indicated, however that is not the case for all members of his administration. If the Department of Homeland Security continues to do things that the courts have decided are against the law, perhaps the courts should start finding the officials below the president in contempt of court and give them some jail time. Perhaps even locking them up in makeshift prisons like the ones they have put refugees in, or even in the same prisons. This could reach all the way up to sycophants like Stephen Miller. The trials at Nuremberg showed us that, "I was just following orders," is not a sufficient defense.
14
What laws can I break without consequence? If I stop paying my taxes, commit rampant fraud and theft, will anyone say my prosecution is cruel or care that I would be separated from my family in jail? No.
If I leave my child in the car to run an errand, I'm arrested but pay smugglers to drag them 1,000 miles through several countries in the desert is ok?
These are duly passed laws being knowingly violated or grossly manipulated. Why are migrants exempt from laws citizens are held accountable for?
29
What about all the laws that Trump violates? It seems that those of your persuasion have no problem with his lack of accountability.
4
Instead of family separation I think we should do the following
1. Allow asylum seekers to IMMEDIATELY approach the border with ZERO wait time
2. Instead of these shelters with decent food and medical care I would like asylum seekers to be treated they way they DESERVE to be treated. Maybe strike a deal with Red Roof Inn or Motel 6 so we can provide VERY COMFORTABLE housing and also free breakfast buffet.
3. I have heard the medical care we provide to the asylum seekers is not up to par (kinda like millions of American citizens). I want TOP NOTCH care provided!
4. Catch and release! We have NO BUSINESS detaining anyone in their Red Roof Inn for more than a week tops. After that, let them enter the country and do as they wish and give them a court date for 10-12 years into the future. If they show up fine. If not, they're BUSY LIVING THEIR NEW AMERICAN LIVES how can we expect them to show up?
5. Children of illegal immigrants are sometime forced to attend poor performing schools and be taught in English! From now on, I want us to pay for good quality schools and have these kids taught in their native Spanish.
6. Abolish ICE!
10
@Luciano Literally 100s of millions of people around the world want to immigrate to the United States. Your checklist for opening up the borders is a recipe for economic and cultural destruction.
5
Trump can't release or talk about his taxes because he's under audit. If only we could put his mouth under audit.
8
In an age of taxpayer funded entitlements and services and as well as terrorism, the government owes its citizens the assurance that every person inside our borders lawfully belongs here.
I do t know what Trump is going to do or it is going to achieve this goal but obviously what is happening now isn’t working so it needs shaking up. He should find people who will do whatever it takes.
The feds should Immediately remove every non-citizen who does not have a valid visa or other lawful authorization to be here. Asylum hearings should be held within ten working days, with emergency expansion of hearing officers and detention facilities to end releasing people for hearing dates with high no show rates.
The feds should track the location of every valid visa holder and remove them forcibly within ten days of expiration with a large fine for overstaying. He should intercept funds from sanctuary cities and states to fund this national security emergency. He should borrow Obama’s pen and phone to enforce the law.
17
A voice of reason! Too bad nobody is listening.
6
@KBronson
The estimate is there are about 11 million out of status people in the U.S. including many visa overstays. There is already a backlog of about 900,000 cases in immigration court for 350 immigration judges...
2
@Michael
If we need to hire 3500 or 35,000 immigration judges then he should do it. There are nearly 3 million federal civil servants.
Whatever it takes.
2
Trump is building up his white supremest platform for the upcoming 2020 election to assure his far right wing support at the expense of literally torturing women and children with hostile conditions and treatment.
20
The first time that Trump separated children's from their parents, it generated outrage across the country. He could write that off as a poorly thought out policy with unintended consequences (which still aren't resolved).
Trump will fully own those consequences if he reinstitutes this inhumane practice. He and his enablers can no longer plead ignorance or the consequences since they'll know exactly what damage they'll be doing to innocent children.
Is this what the USA has become?
12
I am not a Trump supporter. But, I do have a question.
What are some legal and humane options if the goal is to reduce and deter illegal immigration? Or, is our only option to roll over and accept them all, thus attracting ever more, and thus become a banana republic of high levels of inequality, tribal and linguistic divisions, corruption at every level, and desperate workers?
These are not economic migrants. If they were afraid of persecution, they would have stayed in Mexico.
29
@na How do you know? Have you ever had to flee your home in fear? I doubt it. Maybe have some compassion and quit taking away the aid we have been giving countries to help them. Nah, let's just follow the rule of law, oh wait, that is the opposite of what we are doing.
9
@na Requesting asylum at the border is NOT illegal. Let's get the facts and law straight--don't listen to the Liar in Chief--he is pathologically incapable of telling the truth and wants to rile up his base.
10
Requesting asylum at the border is fine. But under international law, they were supposed to request asylum in Mexico; people seeking asylum must request it at the first safe country they come to.
14
The House must call Stephen Miller to testify immediately about what kind of immigration policy agenda he is advocating. He is not protected by executive privilege. If he refuses to testify, he should be held in contempt by Congress. It's imperative that the man who is really pushing this inhumane and illegal approach be held to account by Congress.
150
@Elrod
Does being held in contempt of Congress means anything? It seems that Eric Holder escaped rather unscathed from the experience. Remained his arrogant self to the end.
8
@Elrod, while Stephen Miller is despicable, the idea that this is the man who is “really” pushing this agenda seems to be patently false. The man who is *really* pushing the agenda is Donald J. Trump. If Congress is going to hold anyone accountable — and it is clear It will not, as the Republican Party has been thoroughly Naz... I mean Trumpified — it should start with the man at the top.
10
Let’s say he testifies. And then what? Nothing is going to happen and he likely will tell us what we already know. Having it on the record won’t change anything. God know we have Trump on the record for saying many things yet his thoughts and actions have not changed.
2
Did our president really just advise his senior DHS, ICE and immigration executives to "...forget about the law...?"
And, if so, we're o.k. with that?
37
@Bob
DACA issues permits to people to violate the law. Liberal judges have protected these permits of illegal behavior as a right in themselves and furthermore compelled other American citizens to treat them as an obligation to themselves break the law by hiring illegal aliens.
Apparently we are more than okay with that. We celebrate it when we agree with the objective.
8
@Bob: Some people on his staff cautioned him that he was close to suborning outright law-breaking. His reply: “I don’t care.” This from the law and order” president.” Is criminal behavior an impeachable offense? Or does it not apply when the president is a Republican?
11
Where's Congress? Republican and Democrat? Is every Democrat running for president? Are the Republicans brain dead? What a woeful lack of imagination and self-created crisis. Can't plan anything better than concentration camp on the border? We didn't elect a King; Steven Miller and Fox News didn't replace Congress with anyone's permission. I don't think that judges, embattled as they are, can keep holding on to the ship of state with their fingernails, while Trump Inc. saws off the dock behind them. Nor can we wait until 2020. Democrats can vote on an immigration policy with a path to citizenship and visas for foreign workers and give money to the poorer countries to improve their gang problem. China seems to have invested a lot in El Salvador. What have we done lately? And if, like on health care, the Republicans have no plan, no will, no vote, then let them be voted out of office after the Democrats do something to help Americans south and north.
29
What is alarming to me about what is happening with the formation of an immigration policy, is the increasing role played by Stephen Miller. How is he in any way qualified, beyond his own ideological framework, to establish immigration policy for the country? Has he ever taken a trip to Central America? Has he ever visited what are essentially internment camps on our southern border? Does he understand child development and what separating a child from its mother will do that child's development?
I agree that illegal immigration is an issue that requires a solution, but it is quite frankly frightening to me that it's apparently being turned over to a 33 year old ideologue with white nationalistic tendencies.
120
@EB
How is Donald Trump qualified?
(For anything a president does, for that matter?)
1
The first question in the hiring process to fill the new vacancies will be "So, will you order border agents to open fire across the border?" The answer better be yes, or Trump will send them down the road.
Trump loves immigration scandals and border closure because he knows that spectacular actions distract from Congressional probes and Barr’s whitewash of the Mueller probe.
He’d set the Oval Office on fire, or invade Canada if it would shift the headlines. Not to mention that this all-too-Stalinistic purge plays, yet again, to Putin’s agenda by weakening crucial law enforcement and qualified Cabinet advisers.
Congress! Please act with alacrity to curtail this lunatic. We move as if this were normal and conventional remedies were sufficient.
Our country has been invaded. 45 has the power to close our borders, revoke passports, cancel the citizenship of our children and worse while Congressional remedies take 60 days, at best, to reverse him.
This. Is. Not. Normal. DHS purges suggest we are in far more danger than these placid psychological-political analyses suggest.
Friends: is your passport current? Do you have a plan for your family?
I hope to God I’m overreacting to this purge.
14
The administrations obsession with family separation should extend to the White House.
19
"Trump Signals Even Fiercer Immigration Agenda"
I'm so tired of the national media whining about Trump's border security tactics.
ICE is confronting people at school drop-off!
Asylum seekers made to wait in Mexico!
Conditions at shelters not up to par!
Look, I didn't vote for Trump
But he is the only president in my lifetime (I'm 46) who has taken this problem (which is now a full blown crisis) seriously.
At a time when automation and globalisation and the destruction of entire industries (coal) is literally devastating unskilled low educated people the LAST THING we need is hundreds of thousands of MORE low skilled low educated people.
Listen to Bill Gates and Ray Dalio and Warren Buffett. Low skilled low educated Americans are heading towards a very bleak future in the new economy.
I would rather Trump get very tough and make some mistakes than implement the Democratic plan which seems to basically be do nothing, it's not an emergency, let's not alienate Latino voters - heck, open borders is fine with me
36
@Luciano
And I'm so tired of people who claim that Democrats/ Liberals want open borders. Look at the statistics and facts. We are not the ones hiring immigrants without papers. It is the Republicans, 1 percenters and small business owners. And the Trumps. All those golf course employees! Jared and Ivanka must have a nanny for their kids. I wonder if she is a US citizen. How about Erik and Don Jr's kids' nannies?
As to doing nothing, the Democrats want to use modern detection equipment rather than seizing thousands of acres of private property in Texas and walling off a River that is necessary for ranch operation, wildlife migration and a National Park. And remember, walls can be climbed or tunneled under as they have been here and in Israel.
And how about an aid plan that helps these South and Central American countries? But I guess you would rather have them turn to Russia and China as some like Venezuela are doing!
3
@Julie Carter Disagree with you. Democrats, or at least those given the media mic, want open borders. If they didn't, why would there be such a thing as sanctuary cities? Why does their most recent policy (House initiated) state that if a group has a kid with them, they must be released into the country to 'await their court date' which they never show for and then the Dems make it illegal to ask someone what their citizenship is or even continue with ICE. No, the Dems clearly want open borders and that will cost them in the voting booth if an about face isn't made, now.
4
This utter evil is just not sustainable, is what history has always shown us. 2020 will give us a binary choice of good versus evil.
5
Republican Senators up for re-election who out of fear remain silent and go along with the President are going to be clobbered by the voters.
It’s sad to watch our leader become unhinged before our very eyes. Come on Mitch, speak up! Put the good of the country ahead of partisan politics.
10
But those policies didn’t fail voluntarily. They failed because of public or legal pressure, not because Trump’s officials couldn’t follow through. So, how are they going to be done this time? Is he planning to unleash such policies while sprinting everything to his justices on the court for help? What about the political pressure? It’s the bad publicity that forced him to stop family separation, not the court. So, unless he want to vomit political suicide, he can’t do it again. So, what’s the point of these so called “purges,” apart from the usual showmanship? of course, it’s not just a show for the many immigrants he hurts. Really, unless he plans to sprint to his justices crying wolf, which is probably not out of the question, given that they allowed his moslem ban, there can be little point to the purges. And even if his judges help him, the politics might be too devastating!!! So, this seems more like another publicity stunt for his base, but again, these publicity stunts have real consequences for immigrants.
1
Americans welcome welcome LEGAL immigrants, but do not want ILLEGAL immigrants. They recognize that the US cannot afford (or choose not) to support our own citizens: the poor, the ill, elderly, disabled, veterans, et al., and that they and other US taxpayers cannot possibly support the hundreds of millions of foreigners who would like to come here.
US laws allow foreigners to seek entry and citizenship. Those who do not follow these laws are in this country illegally and should be detained and deported; this is policy in other countries, too.
The cruelty lies not in limiting legal immigration, or detaining and deporting illegal immigrants, or forcing those who wish to enter the US to wait for processing. What is cruel, unethical and probably illegal is encouraging parents to bring their children on the dangerous trek to US borders and teaching the parents how to game the system to enter the US by falsely claiming asylum, persecution, etc. Indeed, many believe bringing children on such perilous journeys constitutes child abuse.
No other nation has open borders, nor should the US.
49
God bless your common sense.
17
Anyone unfamiliar with the history surrounding World War II should read up. As the congressional Republicans roll over, and as hard line judges are being sped into position, we are moving far more quickly than ever seemed possible to a single branch of government. And a vengeful, tyrannical one at that.
The cruelty of the immigration policies are the underlying foundation for a government based on demonizing, disenfranchising, and ultimately criminalizing the least powerful people in the nation. The reason we have laws to protect immigrants is to stop this very thing. We remain a nation of immigrants.
We now have huge internment camps on the border, sometimes just cages. All reports indicate that the administration feels that the most effective strategy has been to rip families apart at the border. How can ANYONE, whether they purport to be religious or not, be OK with that internationally (and nationally) illegal practice?
And if anyone thinks it's really about immigration, then look at the groups undergoing a similar path to discrimination. Transgender people, obviously, and LGBT people, in general. Muslims, most certainly. The poor, clearly. And on and on.
History isn't about to repeat itself. History IS repeating itself.
19
After reading Sonia Nazario’a opinion piece”Someone is always trying to kill you” Friday, I do not believe tougher policy at the border will stem the flood of immigrants/asylum seekers. How tough would it need to be to make coming to the border seem worse than staying at home?
Stemming that tide requires improving conditions at its beginning, not worsening them at its end.
14
There is a simple way to end illegal immigration: enforce existing laws that prohibit hiring undocumented workers. It is already a felony with prision sentences for repeatedly doing so.
Yeah right, that's not going to happen.
So it's not about illegal inmigration.
Two years ago the Republican congress could have repealed the laws and treaties that govern asylum seekers.
Heh, yeah right. Asylum seekers get work permits.
Note there are very few Mexicans seeking asylum, it's mostly Hondurans, Guatemalans, etc. Mexico, due to NAFTA, has good jobs available there, so why move? Very few people just decide to move away from home for the sake of it.
Republicans aren't interested in stopping illegal immigration at all. Just giving people on the southern border a hard time. The base likes that.
25
This is a very difficult problem with no easy solution. To ensure balanced reporting (and underscore the seriousness of the dilemma that Trump is facing), why does this article not also say that 66,450 people illegally crossed the border in February 2019, an 11 year high. Many are bringing children as a way of guaranteeing that they can't be turned back.
14
President Trump wants to get rid of judges; he's mad they are upholding asylum law and blocking him from tearing asylum seekers' families apart. If Trump hires a gang of thugs who help him defy court orders they should be thrown in prison for contempt.
37
We can only hope that these harsher policies fail to expand Trump’s hateful base and help the chances of his undoing at the polls in 2020. At least then they will have served some humane purpose . . .
16
A good measure of a president is where-- without the guardrails of congress, or public opinion, or the courts-- we could assume they would stop themselves. Think Abraham Lincoln. Then, think Trump.
Who would Trump be if he were the only arbiter of how he'd choose to treat immigrants, or the environment, or you name it?
Disturbing enough as he is, but left completely to the guidance of his own moral compass (or the vacuum where it ought to be), well, I believe there would be few historical parallels.
14
Night and Fog is how the separation of families is occurring at the border. Apparently 45 wants to increase the frequency of this adverse immigration action, perhaps with the misguided idea that it will serve as an ugly deterrent. Trump's unhesitating recourse to the use of evil is a very telling thing, one that indicates the black hole at the core of Trump, where greed and vanity exert immeasurable force that no goodness or light can escape...
49
Until we repeal the “birthright” law, the lure of having an “anchor baby”, therefore vesting in a benefit gravy train, will never end.
49
As a European I never understood this argument. Which gravy train? The social benefits in the US are extremely poor. If you want to emigrate for social benefits go to Europe!
89
Birthright citizenship is not a law. It’s in the Constitution and revoking this fundamental right to citizenship would revoke the status of half the people you know, and probably that of your own grandparents or parents. Unless they ALL came on the Mayflower, which held very few passengers.
Birthright citizenship is the norm in most countries, and where it is not, they have *broader,* not narrower criteria. For example, in the Eastern European country where I’m currently living a peaceful life waiting out America’s fugue state, citizens can be born here but ALSO be born elsewhere to native parents or grandparents.
22
I forget if an amendment to the Constitution need to start in the House or the Senate, but call your elected representatives and demand the end to birthright citizenship for children of non-citizens.
A NYT comment is not enough!
8
The silence of congressional Republicans, the “family values” people, is deafening.
147
@Ralph Averill we who actually work in the Federal agency directly administering this immigration policy are in large part anchor babies. Those whose parents came to Chicago as illegals years ago are among the most avid supporters of the family separation policy, in one of history's many unimaginable ironies.
4
@Ralph Averill: Neither can I, Ralph, hear the chorus of Ronald Reagan's "moral majority." The deafening sounds of self-righteousness ringing out in the churches of our great land have gone quiet. Maybe they're all in the bathroom?
8
@Ralph Averill Trump and Stephen Miller are out of control and Mitch McConnell does nothing. I guess Lindsey, Mitt and every GOP member are fine with Trump and Stephen Miller.
Trump may be trying to show how “tough” he is by separating babies from their parents. Maybe the goal is to divert attention away from the Mueller report and Barr’s absurd summary.
9