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Statement

Add 545 Children, Their Moms and Families, to the Wreckage Caused By Trump’s Cruel, Immoral Immigration Policies

October 21, 2020
Immigration

Lisa Lederer, 202/371-1996

Statement of Donna Norton, executive vice president of MomsRising, an online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on reports that the Trump administration cannot find the parents of more than 500 migrant children that it forcibly separated from their parents.

“President Trump’s cruel, immoral immigration and asylum policies have taken a terrible toll on children, moms and families. America’s moms are horrified by new reports that our government is still unable to find the parents of 545 children it forcibly separated from their families in the time since it started the program in 2017. Trump’s so-called zero tolerance policy, and his administration’s failure to put systems in place to reunite families who should never have been separated, are indefensible.

“This administration’s parade of horrors includes putting children in cages; forcing medically unnecessary hysterectomies on asylum-seekers in detention; and putting children and families at risk for COVID-19 in detention centers that lack basic protections.

“America’s moms are clear: Families belong together. Every asylum seeker deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect. Every one of those 545 children must be reunited with family members immediately. President Trump’s cruel, despicable asylum policies must end.”

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.