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The Immigration Debacle
The Immigration Debacle
POSTED AUGUST 31, 2018
The impact of Trump's "no tolerance" immigration policy, which led to the separation of 2,500 children from their parents at the US-Mexico border, will likely last a lifetime for those separated. We are seeing the beginning of the impact of this cruel policy in re-unification videos that are going viral. Something that is strikingly uniform in each of the videos is the frozen, non-emotional responses of the children as their parents weep over them. One video shows a devastated mother whose toddler continues to crawl away from her as she tries to talk to him and pick him up.
The impact of Trump's "no tolerance" immigration policy, which led to the separation of 2,500 children from their parents at the US-Mexico border, will likely last a lifetime for those separated. We are seeing the beginning of the impact of this cruel policy in re-unification videos that are going viral. Something that is strikingly uniform in each of the videos is the frozen, non-emotional responses of the children as their parents weep over them. One video shows a devastated mother whose toddler continues to crawl away from her as she tries to talk to him and pick him up.
Even to a layperson's untrained eye, these reactions appear to be confirmation of the significant trauma mental-health experts warned would happen as a result of separating children from their adult caregivers. Karen Johnson, senior director of trauma-informed services at the National Council for Behavioral Health, says that what we're likely seeing in these children's responses is a protective numbing or disassociating. Weeks- to months-long separations have an impact on a child's brain, Johnson says, "which speaks to the urgency to make sure that children do not spend one hour longer than they need to separated from their parents." (Pacific Standard, Aug 28)
Even to a layperson's untrained eye, these reactions appear to be confirmation of the significant trauma mental-health experts warned would happen as a result of separating children from their adult caregivers. Karen Johnson, senior director of trauma-informed services at the National Council for Behavioral Health, says that what we're likely seeing in these children's responses is a protective numbing or disassociating. Weeks- to months-long separations have an impact on a child's brain, Johnson says, "which speaks to the urgency to make sure that children do not spend one hour longer than they need to separated from their parents." (Pacific Standard, Aug 28)
As of August 28, more than a month after the deadline for reunification set by Judge Dana Sabraw, 528 children still remain separated from their parents.
As of August 28, more than a month after the deadline for reunification set by Judge Dana Sabraw, 528 children still remain separated from their parents.
This ACLU video is one of many that have gone viral.
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