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Street Roots • June 8-14, 2018 E d ito r ia l Page 3 Separating children from asylum seekers unconscionable t is outrageous that we have to declare in this administration’s selections. There are print that children should not be traumatized children waiting. and discarded for political gain. But this On Sunday, June 3, the personal impact of this abuse is exactly what our government is doing in policy was put into the spotlight as Oregon’s our name. U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley stood outside an The contribution of immigrants to our country immigrant detention facility in Brownsville, has always been a supporting pillar in our values Texas, to decry the treatment of families seeking as Americans. Today, we are facing an attack on asylum in the United States. That experience, as those fundamental values, he was denied entrance, has become a viral one shrouded in political video online. During his trip, Merkley was jargon but nonetheless allowed access to a processing facility - a first- following the playbook of stop for immigrants detained managed by the isolationism, xenophobia Department of Homeland Security - and and racism. described the harsh conditions he saw there. The Trump Over this past weekend, staffers with U.S. administration has issued a “zero tolerance” Sen. Bob Menendez, (D-N.J.), were also denied policy on people trying to enter the United entrance to an immigrant detention facility in States, including those seeking asylum. Before California, despite prior requests for access. this policy, people caught crossing the Mexican Trump blames an unspecified law created by border illegally were detained Democrats for the actions. and then sent back across the However, Merkley and legal border. The new policy, experts say there is no legal announced by U.S. Attorney requirement that children be In lieu of General Jeff Sessions, is that taken from their families. This is a constructive all illegal crossers, including strategy to keep people from immigration reform, Central and South America from asylum seekers, will be prosecuted by the Department we've been given a entering the country, even for of Homeland Security and policy to inflict pain legal protection under U.S. law. charged with a felony, facing “It’s a new policy not aimed at on children as a months in prison, while their border security,” Merkley said in a means for blocking children are sent to juvenile phone press conference on certain people, detention facilities. Reports say Tuesday. “It’s a policy to punish specifically people hundreds of children have been and deter those people coming to the border illegally. But the removed from their parent’s from Central and p ro te c tio n and p lac ed in th e application for asylum is S o u th A m e ric a , fro m h a n d s of th e D e p a rtm e n t of s e e k in g asylum in th e g u a ra n te e d by law.” Human Services. In lieu of constructive United States. In Sessions’ words, “If you immigration reform, we’ve been given a policy to inflict pain on are smuggling a child, then we children as a means for blocking will prosecute you and that certain people, specifically people child will be separated from from Central and South America, from seeking you as required by law. If you don’t like that, asylum in the United States. then don’t smuggle children over our border.” “It’s morally bankrupt. It’s wrong on every And just like that, people migrating from Latin level,” said Merkley. “You don’t hurt children in America are labeled wholesale as felons and order to influence the policy choices of their smugglers, better suited to the abject poverty parents.” and violence they “chose” to escape. The New York Times reported in April that it There’s great political capital in that language, has data showing more than 700 children have even before a single arrest. Organizations like been taken from adults claiming to be their the Center for Immigration Studies, the parents since October, including more than 100 propaganda arm for the anti-immigrant movement, are firing up their members with this children under the age of 4. The ACLU has filed a class-action lawsuit against federal immigration rhetoric. CIS has been labeled a hate group by bureaus to stop the practice of separating the Southern Poverty Law Center for repeated circulation of white supremacist, anti-Semitic and children from their parents. Merkley’s been criticized for creating a racist material. This is the channel people who publicity stunt. Regardless, he and Menendez demonize and scapegoat immigrants turn to, make an important point that we shouldn’t be including the Federation for American kept in the dark about the human toll extracted Immigration Reform. FAIR is the national by our immigration policies. organization backing local efforts to repeal Members of Congress should be able to visit, Oregon’s sanctuary state status, which bars local on 24-hour notice, any detention facility in law enforcement officials from doing the work of America. As Merkley said, we shouldn’t have to federal immigration officers. wait weeks for access - for a “Potemkin And in front of CIS is where the nation’s leading immigration official, Thomas Homan, the moment,” referring to the euphemism for a manifestation intended to deceive people into acting director of the nation’s Immigration and thinking something is better than it really is. Customs Enforcement agency, gave a speech on We won’t stand for this. We won’t be lied to Tuesday. Despite calls for him to cancel the and kept in the dark about the real-life engagement, Homan took the stage, giving consequences behind this administration’s credibility to an organization that spreads destructive actions. “abhorrent viewpoints, including white Demand that this administration stop using supremacism and anti-Semitism,” according to children as pawns in its war against Latino one congressman’s plea. immigrants, and support our representatives in This same organization is where Trump has their effort to raise the curtain on our selected his next assistant secretary of state for immigration procedures. What we don’t know the Bureau of Population, Refugees and hurts all of us, especially the vulnerable among Migration, Richard Mortenson. us. But let’s not start going through the list of I EDITORIAL written in our pages, or like to get involved member of our re contact 503-228-5657, joanne We ask that all submi ■ author’s name and KF1 if available. Street Roots 211 NW Davis St. Portland, OR 97209 503-228-5657 Fax:503-227-3117 www.streetroots.org - lììiS l Hours: 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m a.m.-2 p.m. Sat. and 7:: Advertising Interested in advertising in Street Andrew Hogan at andrew®streetr Staff Executive Director Kara Sand Executive Editor Joanne Zuhl joanne@streetroots.org Vendor Program Director Cole Merkel Development Director Andrew Hogan andrew@streetroots.org Senior Staff Reporter Emily Green Operations Director Sarah Beecroft Program Assistant Caefin Miltko, Jesuit Volunteer Vendor Assistant Scott Jackson, Alex Gillow-Wiles Development Assistant Rosemary Wilson Editorial Producer Monica Kwasnik Reporters Sarah Hansell, Leonora Ko, Emilly Prado, Ellena Rosenthal, Amanda Waldroupe, Thacher Schmid, DeVon Pouncey, Helen Hill Photographers Diego Diaz, Arkady Brown, Celeste Noche Canvasser Board Chair Rachel Langford Vice-Chair Dan Jones Treasurer Heather Stadick Secretary Alison Hallett Directors Michael Anderson, Sandra Hahn, John Brown, Nets Johnson Volunteers John Barker, Stacey Heath, Anjali Rathore, Dennis Hogan, Lucas Hawthorne, Thomas Buell Jr., Jason Cohen, Doug Spangle, Susannah Kamala, Jon Raymond, Diana Richardson, Paul and Madeline Gefroh, Mary Anne Joyce, Brooke Anderson, Gillian Floren, Mark Oldani, Bianca Butler, Camber Hansen- Karr, Miranda Woods, Henry Brannan, Helen Hill, Mary Emerson, Brooke Anderson, Kathleen McFall, Robb Hengerer, Maile Yeats-Rowe, Erin Parsons, Faye Powell, Jon Raymond, Danny Moran and Megan Pickerel-Winer. 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