Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to streets across the United States on Saturday in solidarity against the Trump administration’s immigration policies. According to CNBC, more than 700 marches took place on Saturday. The practice which has received the most press, the separation of children from their parents, was at the forefront of the rallies.
These separations are a direct result of the Trump administration’s “Zero tolerance policy” which requires all those detained while crossing the border illegally to be prosecuted.
Prior to the policy, many of those people found crossing the border illegally were dealt with in ways other than legal action (such as immediate deportation). The reason being that it is very expensive to prosecute, with wide-ranging financial implications that begin with detainment but also included housing, care and the litigation process itself.
When protests erupted following reports that hundreds of children had been separated from their parents, Trump’s initial response was to deflect blame onto Congressional Democrats in a bizarre criticism of his own policy.
Fortunately for humanity (and unfortunately for Trump) the United States has an established system of check and balances. In this case, a federal judge in California ordered a halt to the separations. He added that the approximately 2,300 children separated from their parents since May be reunited with their parents within 30 days.
Across the United States and around the world, voices are speaking out against the immigration policies of this administration. It seems that as time goes on, Trump’s political island is growing smaller and smaller. Only time will tell how this will impact the coming elections. For the moment, FiveThiryEight’s meta analysis of polling data puts Trump’s approval rating at 40%.
John Rosenabaum is an Orange County attorney and strident advocate of social rights. If you are in need of legal assistance, contact our offices today.
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