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I signed into my Twitter account this week. Of my social media accounts, Twitter does not receive a high priority. I primarily use Facebook and Instagram, but sometimes I find the need to communicate with the Twitter community.
As soon as I accessed my Twitter home feed, there was an audio clip of a child crying at the United States and Mexico border. The sound of the child’s voice struck a chord with me. It forced me to revisit the recent celebration of fathers. I had no choice but to retweet it and write this piece.
Last week was Father’s Day. Families in the United States and Mexico recognized June 17th as the day to remember the men in our lives who serve as teachers, mentors, and friends. I spent the entire day with my three children and wife.
My Father’s Day was simple. It began with our usual Sunday morning routine and continued with an unplanned afternoon trip to the arcade. The blessing to have another day with my children was alone worthy of celebration.
It’s unfortunate that all men living in the United States and Mexico, honored with the reward of fatherhood, did not have the opportunity to enjoy Father’s Day.
According to a recent report in the New York Times, an estimated 2,300 children, age 12 and under, have been separated from their parents and detained in “tender age” facilities. This practice of splitting families is the latest ploy of the Trump administration to “make America great again,” through harsh immigration policies adversely impacting people from Mexico.
As someone who was born in the United States and currently lives in Mexico, I have come to understand how important the family is among many of my local friends, neighbors, and associates. My children, enrolled in a Mexican school where their classmates have embraced them as part of their community, can also bear witness to the imperativeness of family in Mexico.
Nearly, every weekend we are invited to birthday parties that are comparable to wedding receptions in the United States. Parents often rent salons, convenient locations with a plethora of games and activities, in recognition of their child’s special day. Families come together to decorate the facilities, make food, organize activities, and do whatever is necessary to ensure the party runs smoothly. While shopping in the local markets or playing at the beach, we often see adults cover children with an abundance of attention, love, and affection.
Although Trump states, these aren’t people, they’re animals; I can attest that the human beings who attempt to cross the border for perceived opportunities are living and thriving individuals who value family. Trump and his supporters, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions, may quote The Bible in defense of immigration policies. But I don’t believe God ordains the separation of children from their families or other policies that support racially based discrimination practices.
There must be a better way to secure the border without taking fathers away from their children.
In the past administrations of Barack Obama and George Bush, the separation of families was not a common practice. Children were often only taken away from their parents when there was a concern about trafficking or other behaviors that could jeopardize their well-being. This notion of “zero tolerance” for any family caught illegally attempting to cross the border is a unique characteristic of #45’s administration.
When I began writing this week’s column, after I heard the audio clip on Twitter, the policy of separating families was in place at the US-Mexico border. On Wednesday, June 20, Trump signed an executive order ending this component of the “zero tolerance” policy. Whether he was persuaded for empathetic reasons or others is uncertain. I wish there were a way to understand his genuine motives.
Nonetheless, I am utterly grateful that the process has started to reunite families and that others will remain together throughout a difficult time.
If the content of this message resonates with you, please share it in your network and contribute to an organization based in Berkeley, California that supports positives initiatives for all families. The contribution link is here.
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