How one of Trump’s harshest policies started out under the radar
Dec 12, 2024
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The podcast dives into the controversial family separation policy under the Trump administration, revealing its late acknowledgment and traumatic impact on children. Personal stories highlight the emotional turmoil faced by families and the chaotic reversal of the policy in 2018. The challenges of reunification are stark, with over 1,300 children still missing. Discussions also call for accountability and legislative action to prevent a repeat of such injustices, shedding light on the dark consequences of immigration policies.
The Trump administration's family separation policy, initially implemented in 2017 without public acknowledgment, led to a humanitarian crisis affecting over 5,000 children.
Despite widespread criticism and calls for accountability, no individuals from the Trump administration have faced legal consequences for the family separation policy.
Deep dives
The Zero-Tolerance Policy and Its Impact
In mid-2017, the U.S. government, under the Trump administration, implemented a zero-tolerance policy that led to the separation of thousands of migrant children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border. This policy was initially kept quiet and was only acknowledged publicly a year later, sparking widespread criticism. Reports revealed that children were held in appalling conditions, including sleeping on the floor in steel cages, which drew outrage from various sectors of society, including religious leaders and former first ladies. Ultimately, over 5,000 children were separated, and as of now, more than 1,300 of these children remain un-reunited with their families, highlighting the long-lasting effects of the policy and raising concerns about its potential reinstatement in future administrations.
Origins of the Family Separation Policy
The controversial family separation policy can be traced back to 2016, when Stephen Miller rallied against undocumented immigration during an event, seeding the idea of separation into the minds of policymakers. The policy was considered by the Obama administration but was ultimately dismissed as too cruel. After Trump’s election, the policy was rapidly developed and implemented in the early days of his administration without public knowledge. The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which traditionally provided care for unaccompanied migrant children, was re-purposed to manage the separated children, demonstrating a significant shift in its mission under the new policy.
The Quest for Accountability and Reunion
Despite widespread calls for accountability, including from President Biden who deemed the separations criminal, no individual from the Trump administration has faced legal repercussions for the policy. Current efforts to reunite families are ongoing; however, many affected parents, having been deported, are cautious about reconnecting with a government they distrust. Additionally, there remain over 1,300 children separated from their parents after several years, emphasizing a need for not just physical reunification but also an acknowledgment of the trauma inflicted. Advocates stress that it is crucial for Congress to legislate against the use of family separation to prevent similar policies in the future.
The separation of migrant families by the Trump administration is one of the most controversial policies in modern American history. It began in mid-2017 but was only acknowledged publicly about a year later. In 2020, NBC correspondent Jacob Soboroff came out with a book on the subject called Separated: Inside an American Tragedy. Most recently, Soboroff teamed up with Academy Award–winning filmmaker Errol Morris to make a documentary, also called Separated, based on the book. Morris and Soboroff spoke with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu about how this policy was carried out and what it might look like under the new Trump administration.
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