Sessions says the government is taking immigrant babies from their families

[babylonsister]

https://thinkprogress.org/sessions-admits-immigrant-babies-being-separated-from-parents-99bfbbfef6f7/

Sessions says the government is taking immigrant babies from their families
"If people don’t want to be separated from their children, they should not bring them with them."
Rebekah Entralgo
Jun 5, 2018, 2:05 pm


During an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Tuesday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions admitted that the Trump administration was separating immigrant infants and toddlers from their families at the southern U.S. border, claiming that it was their parents’ fault for bringing them to the United States illegally.

“Most are not infants. Most are teenagers, although we do have a number of younger ones now, more than we’ve seen recently,” Sessions said, referring to the scores of children and teens being separated from their families while attempting the cross the border. “They are maintained in a very safe environment not by the law enforcement team at Homeland Security, but put with Health and Human Services. And they are kept close by, and if the person pleads guilty, they would be deported promptly, and they can take their children with them.”

Hewitt argued that the idea of infants and toddlers being taken from their parents was “disturb[ing].”

“I’m disturbed by this. I don’t think children should be separated from biological parents at any age, but especially if they’re infants and toddlers. I think it’s traumatic and terribly difficult on the child,” he said. “Is it absolutely necessary to do so? Can’t we have facilities where parents remain united with kids?”

snip//

A recent NBC News report, however, found that there were around 500 children under DHS care that are stuck at border stations, 300 of whom have stayed there for longer than 72 hours, the time limit for immigrants of any age to be held in the government’s temporary facilities. Half of those 300 children are under the age of 12. Because these facilities are meant to be temporary, many don’t have adequate sleeping areas or showering facilities.

Sessions’ comments come two days after Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) was denied access to a detention center in Brownsville, Texas where hundreds of immigrant children are currently being held in what Merkley described as “like dog kennels.” Rather than allowing him into the facility to observe the living conditions, officials there called the police on the senator instead.

[malaise]

1. That is kidnapping plain and simple n/t

[saidsimplesimon]

2. Sorry, obscenity below

Fucking Hewitt can only say "it is disturbing". Is that the best you can do Hugh for the children?

[gopiscrap]

6. Hewitt has alway been a barnacle

on the trump ass pimple

[gratuitous]

3. Didn't Bush say that people with something to hide are usually doing bad things?

Separating parents from their children is pretty heinous, Mr. Sessions. But it's pretty standard in the long tradition of totalitarian dictators. Also, aren't some of these people coming to the U.S. for asylum from repressive regimes in their own countries? How cruel is it to break up families just as they get to the land of the free and the home of the brave? Do you plan to change the words of the national anthem anytime soon?

[Eliot Rosewater]

4. UN , if you cant send in troops please at least announce the USA is no longer

part of the UN or part of humanity.

[Wwcd]

5. HERE: Tuesday: "UN office calls on US to stop separating families at border "

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016207944

[duforsure]

7. That's inhumane

And cruel punishment, and on little kids. Disgusting

[tulipsandroses]

8. Who is taking care of these children?

It takes incredible skills to take care of traumatized children and I have no doubt that these children are going to be traumatized.
I imagine that you are going to see PTSD like behaviors. Children acting out. A lot of crying, anger, temper tantrums. It would test even the best of us that are experienced in mental health. Who is taking care of these children?

[babylonsister]

9. That's a great question. I don't know.

Probably people who are unqualified given the number of children.

[Ilsa]

12. And given the LOW PAY. nt

[babylonsister]

14. Per Rachel just now, it's

a border processing facility. If that's federal, the pay isn't that low, but it's being done with the tacit ok from us if we don't fix it. This whole thing is sickening.

But no worries, because now this fucking admin might send them away to a distant military base.

God, I loathe them, every day.

[tulipsandroses]

15. Sickening indeed

Military base - Unreal


Unfriggin believable! Internment camps?? Who raised these people? They are truly spawns of Satan -

[Ilsa]

16. I was referring to the facilities run by

Private contractors. A DUer said they privateers pay poorly while the owners rake it in.

[C_U_L8R]

10. We need international intervention

as our own government is committing crimes against refugee children and their families. This is sickening. Break them out, now!

[struggle4progress]

11. Family values: the Republican version

With free extra bonus oxymoron:

"If people don’t want to be separated from their children, they should not bring them with them"

[Ilsa]

13. Uh, yeah, just leave them to die in their old country? nt