WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING.
Any parent with a beating heart cannot look at the images and hear the stories of the scared, small children being torn apart from their parents on our border and not give a shit. Pardon my language, but this, along with our ridiculous stance on guns, that makes me want to flip a dumpster and light it on fire. This is not a time for polite political discourse (or posting about outdoor furniture as was my plan for today), this is a time to speak up and take action. Our government is making despicable policies in our name, and it must be stopped (and before anyone tries to say these policies aren’t Trump’s, check your facts, there are no laws stating that children MUST be separated from their parents). We can care about our country and our needs AND OTHER PEOPLE AT THE SAME TIME. We don’t have to pick one or the other exclusively. We want to remain the most powerful country in the world, but with that power comes responsibility to help others.
The issue is confusing and complicated. Joanna at Cup of Jo did a brilliant article that really breaks down who these people are, why they are trying to come to this country, and what you can do to help. Go read it. Also, The Cut did a great round up of what you can do from attending protests to how to contact your representatives. Here is a short list of great places to put your dollars, if you have any to spare, that can help these innocent kids stuck in limbo–
PLACES TO DONATE:
ActBlue Charities: Your donation to this charity will be spread across several groups working to protect kids from being separated from their parents.
KIND (Kids In Need of Defense): This group is focused on protecting the legal rights of children seeking asylum- including providing lawyers for immigration court.
RAICES Leaf Fund and Bond Fund: Helping those detained post bond or find legal services.
We Belong Together: Women for common sense immigration law that will keep families together and empower women trying to find a safer country for their children.
I also got an e-mail in my inbox this morning that St. Frank, a great source for home decor I love that works with artisans from low income countries around the world in an effort to empower them. Now through Saturday they will donate 10-20% of all purchases to KIND (one of the charities listed above)- so you can pick up something unique for your home (or a great gift) AND support this cause at the same time:
1. Give 10% to KIND, get 10% off with code GIVE10GET10
2. Give the full 20% to KIND with code GIVE20
I look at my sweet boy and I cannot FATHOM the pain of knowing he was somewhere alone, scared, without me. My body literally wretches when I imagine it. I also can’t imagine living in a country so dangerous or poverty-stricken that the risk of putting him through that pain is a better option than staying put. Think about that. And then DO SOMETHING.
Browse:
I don’t normally comment on blogs, but I felt compelled today to say that I am glad you posted this. It is thoughtful and so so necessary for us to all remain engaged. To those who feel you shouldn’t post on your own blog – who cares what they think! Erin, post whatever you want. Your more recent post about being both a person and a business is spot on.
The little girl on “Time” magazine was never separated from her mother. Many of the other images are from the time Obama was in office.
Thank you, Erin. Your post was heartfelt and poignant. Please do not listen to people who say to stay in your lane that it is disrespectful and short sided. Another note and I know you did not mean anything by this at all but people do not need to parents to have their hearts wrenched by what is happening. Any compassionate person parent or otherwise is gutted and distraught and looking to help in any way. This is more my sensitivity than anything you said but I needed to say it for me. You are amazing, inspiring and all around awesome!
I will hit the unsubscribe button for “Elements of Style”.
Thank you for your post – my “little one” is now 33 years old, and when I think of him, I can’t imagine having him torn from my arms when he was a young boy. Although I am not a fan of the current administration, I do not think that this is a Republican vs. Democrat or liberal vs. conservative issue. I think that it’s an issue of compassion and empathy vs. white nationalism and racism. I pray that the children and parents who were separated are reunited soon and believe that every American should write or call their state and US senators and representatives to let them know that we expect them to demonstrate the courage to insist to the administration that reunions become the top immigration priority until every child is back in the arms of his or her parent(s).
Erin, thank you for speaking up. The people still defending Trump and his corrupt regime boggle the mind. Truly. History will not judge him kindly or his supporters.
Well…we will see about that, won’t we. I felt the same way about Obama…is it possible that we have differing opinions?!?! Say it isn’t so!
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Thank you Erin for writing this post. I 100% agree with your post and am shocked at how low the President and his administration will go (i.e. punishing/torturing children for something they have no control over). I live between the US and Europe and I am constantly having to explain to people over there that the majority of Americans are not like this. And thankfully we are a majority! This regime will not last. I get comfort knowing that.
Erin,
You are a complete idiot! You are believing the propaganda put out by the liberal media. Please shut up as you are embarrassing yourself.
Stop your uneducated libel and slander. If you want to debate then you need to dig a bit deeper than listening to CNN and NY Times. An educated and wise individual reads both sides and then makes an educated an informed opinion, which you have not. To call our president a dictator is just ignorant. He was duly elected by the citizens of our great nation. Stop being a sore loser! The economy is booming, we have just negotiated a historic deal with North Korea, etc. I do not care about illegals that break the law and expect to come into our country and go on welfare, etc. I work hard and I want to spend my money on my family! Not law breakers!
That goes for the rest of you liberal, rich, stay at home mommies!
Emily-Like WOW! What does someone even say to all that! I mean you have every right to your own opinion……that’s why it’s called an opinion, but to be so HORRIBLE. I mean, what are you trying to accomplish with such an outpouring……you aren’t looking for a discussion, that is obvious. But the name calling and being told to shut up- not cool. You have every right to your opinion, but keep it clean and classy.
Erin, you are correct. I misread your comment ,and for that I do apologize and I am sorry for my incorrect response .
Wow. You seem to have a lot of repressed anger you need to deal with. Your rude, awful comment is not welcome on this blog. Name calling is not okay.
No I did not! I called Kim Jong Un a murderous dictator! Read closely before you accuse me of something.
Erin. Yet, you called our President a murderous dictator. That is name calling, isn’t it?
As an American…I am so damn sick of Americans. Our country is being ruined .
A bit less than 50% of us are total idiots. Anyone that can believe the Trump and Fox News BS is uneducated and doesnt know history or facts. Some one said above that we can‘t compare this to concentration camps… bull…yes we can….AND we MUST! This is how it starts!
Do you think it started in Germany 1933 and people knew what was going on? Most citizens there didn’t know until after the war what was going on in the camps! My grandfather died in a camp in Russia in 1945.
This is what happens when insane people take over the government and media stations…and people, because of uneducation or stubborn believe, buy into the propaganda and lies. Fox News and Trump ONLY spout things to make people afraid or angry. Same tactics historically for fascism.
Yes, trump walked it back yesterday, but nothing will change. It will go underground.
The scary thing is that the US government left the UN Human Right Council. This is more frightening than anything any previous president has done in recent history. We are the laughing stock of the world!
https://www.wsj.com/articles/kids-in-cages-1529536302?mod=hp_opin_pos3
Hi Erin,
Thank you for posting this. I, too, did a quick blog post two days ago and mentioned Cup of Jo’s brilliant post. To think that Americans are separating children from their parents goes beyond the pale. Imagine fleeing violence, trying to save your children from rape or death, etc. We would do anything to protect them. Maybe you get turned away at the border and you try to cross anyway. After all, the U.S. is the land of hope and opportunity. Then your children are ripped from your arms. Such cruelty and inhumanity!
While yesterday’s executive order stops this practice, there appears to be no plan in place to reunite the thousands of families who have already been torn apart. This issue is not resolved. Those babies need their families!
Thanks again for your compassion and humanity.
So much for the party of “family values.” The hypocrisy is stunning.
Hello,
My name is Ana and I’m from Portugal.
I’m appalled by what is happening in the USA. As a citizen of the free world, I just cannot understand how the american people is letting a single person manipulate, degenerate, corrupt and destroy everything we (population of the free and civilized world) constructed , eveything we fought for. You shoul organize and fight that every day. You should do everything you can to avoid more damage and suffering. It’s the free world as we know it that is at stake.
I hope you are brave, strong and smart enough to end this awful era.
We are organizing protests here in Portugal as well.
Love,
Ana
Love this post! I agree 110% thank you Erin for providing these links so others can help. I’m planning on going to my representatives in a week or so in Seattle with a bunch of fellow moms. We WILL change this!
Thank you, Erin for writing about this. I know every time you post something “controversial”, some people say they will unfollow you.
To me this issue is not about politics but morality.
The EO doesn’t solve the problem Sessions, Miller, Kelly, and Trump created. We need to keep paying attention and not let POTUS spin this as him being compassionate. They are freaked out by the global backlash. His base doesn’t care but he need Independent votes and non Evangelical Republicans to support him too.
Many of the children who have been separated will be “lost” in the system. This is madness. It’s not illegal to seek asylum.
Trump’s own mother was an unskilled economic migrant and he was married to two immigrants, one who was working in the country illegally. This hypocrisy is staggering to me. Or is this self-hatered on a scale I cannot understand.
Thank you to those who expressed an opinion not in lockstep with the author and dared to post the facts.
I, too, am tired of this uninformed, drinking the fake liberal news Kool-aid political crap, constantly being beaten up for my opposing political views, and also happily unsubscribing. These hate-filled and uninformed posts are not why I subscribe to decor blogs. I actually scour all news sources for the truth and FACTS and do not need a decor blogger to tell me what to believe, what demonstration I should attend or which organization I should donate to.
How is my post “hate filled”? How is it that your angle is “facts” and others are “fake news”. You do understand Trump created this “fake news” hysteria to create a following of lemmings who only listen to him (a proven liar many times over) right? But since you declared you are unfollowing me I guess you won’t be seeing this….
Calling a previous post “naive and racist “ sounds hateful to me especially since nothing in her post was remotely racist. Also, calling Trump voters lemmings is condescending and elitist.
Erin Gates…as a mother of a border patrol agent you are 100% misinformed when you make blanket statements blaming the border patrol for what is happening at the border. Your first line of attack needs to be your congressman and representatives…both parties. But the biggest mistake you have made is to take a design related blog that you make a great deal of money on because it is a design blog and turn it into a name calling, biased and judgmental discussion. Yes it is your blog but that blog is successful because of your readers and I, for one, use blogs as an escape from the constant exposure to the ugliness in this world not as a way to learn of your political, religious or any other belief. And it makes me so sad to see all these women turn against each other…was that your intention…I think not. Please consider separating your topics and perhaps open a separate blog for current affairs and allow your faithful readers to elect to read that if they so choose. If this continues then I will exercise my ability to simply unsubscribe and ask that my friends and clients that I have referred to your blog do the same.
You also understand that it’s your choice to read this post, right? You are free to just not read it. I do not have to create another blog to keep people with opposing viewpoints from being confronted by an opinion. That is the most ridiculous suggestion yet.
Sorry you feel I can’t be a business and a human- that’s your problem not mine. Censorship on any level isn’t welcome, so best of luck to you.
Thank you Erin for being a voice of reason. I may be making a broad generalization here (which of course by definition, doesn’t describe everyone), but I’m guessing there are many in the zero-tolerance, Trump-supporting camp who also feel very passionate about the life and rights of unborn fetuses. If only those same people felt as passionately about the LIFE of that fetus once it becomes a breathing child. I can only imagine what an amazing world we might live in if that same passion and empathy extended to the living.
Erin, I hope that in your urgent concern for this situation,- that you expressed so well, you don’t undervalue the importance of the work that you are doing every day to help us live our lives beautifully. Whether our living spaces are small or large, I happen to believe that They help nurture and define who we are as families. And I happen to believe that families define how strong we are as a country. Outdoor furniture is very important!! Keep up the good work!
So….as an outsider looking in this is how I see it. Regardless of Law, Policy or Bill your President played a hand. He chose to throw the dice and hoped that it would run his way. It is quite obvious that children were separated from there parents as a deterrent to others trying to come into your country legally(seeking asylum) or illegally(sneaking in then asking for asylum). Those children are being used ! PERIOD! Either way it was done to gain political favour. In no way does he care about those children- do not kid yourselves. And it is quite obvious that those that follow him-his supporters and those at Fox News believe the Kool-Aid he is selling. However, there has been a huge backlash and his gamble did NOT pay off. So now he has signed his “homework” and shown everyone what he has done. But what has really changed? Do policy’s need to be changed? Absolutely! And I do not have the answers. But forcibly stealing children from their parents is NOT the answer. You would think that your history would have served as a reminder-Slavery, Japenese Interment Camps, I guess not……Every day I wake up thinking that this episode of the Twilight Zone will be over, but then I wake up and then some fantastical event usurps the previous day….when will it end?? When you all get out and vote! Vote for policies that matter. Not ones that could NEVER have been implemented but appeal to the lowest base. Educate yourselves. Follow FACTS! Follow SCIENCE and always seek theTRUTH. Because this whole FAKE NEWS cycle is getting really old for the rest of us on the planet! Thanks to Erin for lending her voice to such a horrific Policy. NO ONE should be ok with this. EVER!
The comparison of this to slavery, concentration camps, etc. is appalling! My husband’s great uncle was a Polish Priest during WWII and was roundedup by the Nazis and taken to Dachau . He was dead within 3 months. Starved and worked to death. It is really outrageous and frankly, insulting to have these camps compared to those. We are a good and compassionate nation. Also, why do only people who watch Fox News get accused of drinking Koolaid. Have you ever thought that liberals are just drinking a different flavor. Nobody is “stealing” children . Also, we DO vote. That is why Trump got elected.
He is not flip flopping. He is doing exactly what he said he would do when he was campaigning. Sorry you are so scared. If it makes you feel any better I was scared when Obama was president and the sun still came up in the morning. I did not mean to make it sound that it was you who compared this to concentration camps. You absolutely did not…I am sorry. The media here are the ones comparing this to concentration camps. It is also curious that all of a sudden there is this chorus of outrage over something that has been going on for years. Its almost as if it was orchestrated by the left.
Can you not see that this flip flopping of your President and how it seems dangerous to the rest of the planet?? I have NEVER seen an individual that I have feared so much. Have you no idea how the rest of the world perceives you all since he took power. It is really scary. And now to see this policy carried out…..You have to agree that something has to be done? To see children crying….to have people think that they are actors and that it is fake news!! The fact that people even think that…..And I NEVER said anything about Concentration Camps EVER. Children were indeed ripped from there parents during slavery! Can you not see that this is not about party lines……people using the system should be processed. But there has to be a different way. You have to agree on that!
Thank you for posting this, Erin. It would’ve been hard to read about outdoor furniture today. I was hoping you’d say something about this issue.
Thank you for your post. I agree wholeheartedly that it’s a time to set aside normal business (e.g. outdoor furniture) and talk about these children and these families. I was heartened to see your post on IG as well. This can’t be who we are, how we treat human beings. It’s not who I want our country to be, so I’m going to protest and donate and do everything I can do until I see some changes.
I subscribe to this blog for design inspiration and I like it. I think Erin’s writing is witty and amusing. Today I am being treated to bunch of screaming meanies (I can see the spittle flying from their lips) and it makes my head hurt. This is the “Bash Trump” issue du jour. He is enforcing a law that was on the books already…we can’t let emotion and feelings dictate which laws we enforce. I am unsubscribing…I am butt dragging tired of all this.
Diane,
You know Erin is going to speak up when something big like this happens, so why come here when you completely disagree with her? It is if you only come here to Fight! I never see you comment on design posts. Only on the political ones. You say you come here for design inspiration, but I think you really like to come here only when there’s politically charged posts.
Not true! You don’t know me. I have commented on design posts. These topics are hot button so of course you’re going to have more comments in general. I don’t check in on this blog so I can comment on political posts. I come for the design, which is very good. The political, not so much… She can speak up as much as she wants. She should also expect to have disagreement and not just a bunch of bobbing heads.
Diane, there is no law that separates families – it is a Trump policy. Facts matter.
We bash Trump because his policies are upsetting. Not for sport. He has proven himself an unfit leader again and again. Lauding a murderous dictator and condemning toddlers to detention centers. If that isn’t something to stand up against I don’t know what is.
Obama “lauded” the Ayatollah of Iran!
I thought Obama was an unfit narcissistic President. His “negotiations” with Iran made the middle east a more dangerous place. His administration was involved with the FBI right before an election, citing Russian “collusion”. No collusion has been discovered! But significant bias from the FBI has been duly noted. Are you kidding me? Which administration is corrupt!!?? Then there’s Hillary Clinton and how her emails were hidden from Congressional requests. I think most of the people on this board are using these kids for your OWN agendas. And as upsetting as kids being separated from their parents is, a large number of Latino families have sent their kids off BY THEMSELVES. Drug cartels use kids to get themselves across. I see a huge amount of naiveté in lots of the comments I’ve read through. Erin, the part about “lauding a murderous dictator” did it for me. We have a democratic republic- even under President Trump. I’m unsubscribing.
Sorry, meant to write, “that didn’t change your perspective on his performance as a leader”
Diane, it is SO odd to me that you would counter a discussion about the inhumane policies that this administration chose to implement with unemployment statistics! You are correct that unemployment is at a record low at 4% and that is fantastic. Just FYI it was at 4.8% when Obama left office down from 10% during the financial crisis. It sounds like you were not a fan of the previous administration’s policies, but somehow the good economy didn’t change your perspective of his perspective as a leader. Further, it’s kind of unbelievable to me that you would witness the child abuse happening at the border, and simply say “well the economy is doing great, and I like other policies, so everyone should stop complaining.” That makes it seem like you think that these kids are simply collateral damage and it’s fine. That is deeply troubling.
Diane- I am so sick of What about ism’s. But what about Obama! The fact that you can even equate the two…it is beyond comprehension. But then again, I have no affiliation to any party since I am not of your country. But perhaps it has given me a perspective you don’t have. I have not drunken the Kool-Aid of either party. To even compare your past President with the current one is laughable. Could President Obama have done certain things differently-absolutely. But to compare the two……I have no other words.
Oh oh oh, I almost forgot..unemployment for women….the lowest in 65 years.
Erin, where was your outrage when the same thing was occurring during the Obama administration when he was following this law? Our President is not a murderous dictator, and he did not create this law. Congress has to come together to solve this immigration problem. In the mean time, the media and Democrats are doing everything they can at the expense of the American people to use this as a political weapon to divide this country and get rid of our duly elected President. Don’t let the hate lead you, do your own research.
I guess we don’t agree….record low unemployment (black unemployment the lowest ever), GDP closing in on 4%, potential denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, getting rid of onerous regulations, ended U.S. participation in horrible Iran deal, brought home hostages from North Korea without giving up anything and my retirement account is looking pretty good. I could go on and on and on. I would compare to last administration, but I like to look forward.
Exactly. Thanks, Erin.
This debate isn’t about who’s legal or who’s not. One reporter put it as succinctly as any I’ve heard: it doesn’t matter if these kids are put up in 5 star hotels, they’ve been TORN from their parents. Seems there was finally enough pressure for this president to put an end to separating families. Beyond time. I have been outraged.
Thank you, Erin for speaking out. That this issue is even in QUESTION sickens me and makes me wonder deeply about the sanity and decency of this country.
Right on Jody! Political Correctness has ruined our country! No other country in the world has open borders. Our economy cannot sustain the 50,000/month illegals streaming into our country. These numbers are high because these individuals know they can work our legal system . I am very sick of uniformed individuals ranting on social media! And don’t even get me started on Hollywood!
Maria-As someone not of your Country- History will be your judge. How you treat others, how you treat your own citizens….You can’t even protect yourselves from each other because of your love of your Gun Culture. You cannot even protect your own children when they go to school. I am not for open borders. But you had the luck of the draw to have been born in the US. You didn’t have to fight your way to freedom…or maybe you did! But what wouldn’t you do for your children? It is getting to the point…between your Immigration Policies and your Trade Policies, it is becoming quite clear you wish to be on your own. And to be quite frank unless things change I might be OK with that. We are humans first! Human- not Mexican, not Syrian, not Black, not White. But I suppose some of us are more enlightened than others. Again, I am not for open borders. But you were all immigrants- legal or illegal at some point. This us against them has to stop. You have to find a solution. And those in Politics are quite happy with you all ripping yourselves apart. Because divided you fall……and well….you should know the next line. Even a Canadian like me knows the next line!
Maria, I agree with you. This situation is sad and has existed through out the past three administrations. Now, it is being used to further a political agenda, and the media is fanning the flames of fake outrage to a point that is getting dangerous.
Fanning the flames of outrage! When is it ok to rip children from their parents?? I guess my bleeding heart is fanning my “fake outrage”. ARGH!!! The Berlin Wall worked really well for Germany! But I suppose people forget or don’t educate themselves on history! I suppose when someone drinks the Kool-Aid it is easy to see those children as fake news or as actors (thanks Ann Coulter). But to not feel outrage on a situation that should have been resolved long ago…well I suppose we are all at a new level of low! There has to be a solution….aren’t you supposed to be the “Greatest Country on Earth”. But I beg to differ in this current political climate. I am not saying that finding a solution is easy, but you are asking a President who cannot get through a week without golfing to find you a solution. A President I might add who had a lot to say about the previous one for taking the occasional vacation. Perhaps President Trump should spend less time at Mar a Lago and a little more time at the border, then he would see that what he is doing is not just a political ploy but one that is actually playing with peoples lives. To say that this kind of thing gets me riled up would be an understatement. I am pulling for you all to find a solution that is Humane, Just and Right for EVERYONE.
I am not advocating for open borders! This is not black and white! What I am against is using the terror of innocent children to further a politcal agenda. There is a way to filter the immigrants looking to come to this country without torturing children. END OF STORY.
Erin it’s your bkog, write what you wanr. I, however, can not support you or your views any longer.
If my children accompany me while I commit a crime, we are separzted, I go to jail, they go to foster care or a juvenile detention center of there is no relative to whom custody can be given.
If I’m convicted of said crime, I go to jail l WITHOUT my children.
Crossing the border illegally is just that, i illegal.
Why should we afford illegal immigrants greater rights than our own citizens?
Those crossing the border knowingly break the law and should suffer the same consequences as U.S. Citizens
Further ore, the parents have jeopardized their children’s safety and welfare. In cases where U..S. Citizens jeopardize the safety and well being of their chilren, their children are taken away.
Lastly, a great number of children in the detention centers are there because their parents are in their home country and they have risked their children’s well being by putting them in custody of counted who traffic the children in unscrupulous ways.
Often times the children are detained for their own safety.I
I wish you and your blog well
Jody – there is a huge difference between committing a crime such as murder, assault, etc and committing the “crime” of entering another country illegally. Especially when the reason you’ve fled your home country is because it’s so unsafe that you would risk your families lives on the journey. These people are hopeless and desperate. We need to have some compassion and should be opening our arms and welcoming them.
Jody, don’t drink the kool aid.
you don’t know what some of these humans are going through to escape misery.
Do you think they love their children any less than you do?
Do you think they would drag their kids without food and shelter thousands of miles for fun?
You can only pray to God and hope you will never be put into that situation of having to flee for you life with your children.
In the meantime, go ahead and go shopping in your air conditioned Safeway and eat the tomatoes and lettuce picked by our so called “illegal “ friends from the south ..that are working for pitiful wages in jobs that no american will work for …so that you can eat fresh vegetables.
Perhaps your house was even built by them because there are not enough american construction workers to get the job done?
Should I continue?
Our economy would collapse, and at the very least our prices for all foods and housing would sky rocket…without so called “illegal immigrants”.
Food for thought.
That argument is fed to you . If you are pulled over for drunk driving the cops do not go to your house and take your kids and not tell you where they are. If you murder someone, yes, you lose your custody! But you cannot comps e crossing a border to murder. It’s not apples to apples. And you cannot assume that all asylum seeker are criminals or terrible people. Many are parents trying to find a way to make a better life for their kids and will risk anything to do so. Assuming the unknown is evil is naive and racist.
Please, please, please stop calling people racist already. Jody didnt say anything racist.
We do not change the world when we whisper………
We change it when we ROAR…………..
Our roars made a difference today and Trump just signed an executive order reversing his inhumane policy.
Thank you for your post
Ladies, check your facts. https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/18/us/photo-migrant-child-cage-trnd/index.html
Very good link Sally. I’m afraid many people here don’t want to see the facts for what they are. No one says don’t question authority but we can’t ignore reality.
No one was using that specific image as a talking point though. It’s been widely proven to come from another situation (equally sad and awful).
Sorry I meant that for Sara above regarding the loopholes, the blame game is irrelevant at a time like this.
Here are the facts. We need to close the immigration loopholes immediately which will resolve the majority of these issues. Ladies, please know your facts before you go online. You should act on the facts not emotion. Don’t always believe what you read. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/18/us/politics/dhs-kirstjen-nielsen-families-separated-border-transcript.html
Erin, thank you for posting this and for pushing back on the nit-pickers in your comments who have completely lost sight of the bigger picture. You are amazing and I appreciate it.
Ladies, if you are so upset by this situation, do something. Erin, give a portion of your design fee revenues to the charities listed as well as a portion of your earnings.
Who says I’m not Sally? Nice assumption.
I can’t even stand intelligent debate on this issue.
Thank you Erin. My heart hurts. What has happened to our country and all we have stood for? Why are those of us who disagree with these policies called Un-American? We love our country and that’s why we’re in distress.
Here is the most concise description of the legal situation I have seen. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2018/06/19/the-facts-about-trumps-policy-of-separating-families-at-the-border/?utm_term=.46c33695d22c
The current administration is deliberately creating a crisis. Here is a simple moral test…examine what the government is doing/considering and if you can say “that sounds like something the Nazis would do” then you shouldn’t do it.
Suzanne, thank you for posting this link to fact checker. It’s better to be informed. I hope the readers who are interested in learning the truth use the link. Please.
What is even more sad it that these countries have problems because of the drugs we, the United States, buy.
and most of the guns the drug gangs in Mexico use, are American made and smuggled south. Because it’s so easy to acquire them here.
Thank you Erin for posting about this & using your voice to help raise awareness of this issue and what we can do to help. We all need to take action!!
Thank you Erin for posting about this and bringing attention to this issue. We need to take action & I so appreciate you using your voice to help.
I am honestly horrified by all of this and my heart has been so heavy knowing that there are people that I know and am related to that are supporting this terrible policy for “security reasons” and to “uphold the law” blah blah blah. If they were in the same position as many of these parents, they would do the exact same thing- run to where ever they thought safety would be.
I don’t know what the best answer is for all of this mess because human traffickers do abuse asylum seeking to smuggle their enslaved victims but there has to be a better way.
I’m firmly in the camp of #NeverTrump and realize his part in this, but I honestly don’t care if George Washington set it up because it’s wrong no matter who decided this policy. To Everyone splitting hairs about policy origins: In this moment of horror we need to assess where we’re putting our energy. It doesn’t matter who started it, we need to end it.
I really respect to you for being willing to use your platform to speak out on important issues. Thank you!
My thoughts are, who is going to help our children and our grandchildren. The drug cartel is right behind these people. About to infiltrate our streets homes and businesses. Every day they are driving 18 wheelers across the boarders as legal truck drivers. They are here, more are coming. These people are not running away from anything, they are running right into what they are attempting to leave. Instead of fighting for what is theirs, they are coming here and we will be fighting for what was ours and at the same time attempting to support them. HOW ARE WE DO THAT?? I do not know about you all, but we are retired and on a fixed income, we get NO help, no support but now we are donate to their needs. Sorry, but MY pockets are empty by the last week of the month. I have to live on my table scraps, cut my meds in half and not run the AC or take a shower to keep my water bill down and the power company from shutting off my power. Now I am to donate? Cut me a break, really cut me a break.
Our economy is on the brink of total collapse – this “good economy” is a lot of smoke and mirrors. Whole other topic, I know, but do you all think we can move into Canada? Or where? I really do want to know what everyone is thinking.
And could we turn some of our disdain towards Trump who gave a HUGE tax cut to the wealthiest Americans and who has spent more in more year going to Mar a Lago to golf than the Obama’s spent in 8 years? And we spent millions for Melania to stay in NY because she can’t stand her husband. And Ivanka and Jared are making millions off of the presidency. So it bothers me to hear people say we can’t afford to help others but yet Trump and his family are raping our country with their greed. And what about his cabinet members who treat our country like their own personal credit card? So maybe we should redirect our outrage. So very tired of hearing how the immigrants are costing us money.
Bravo Sara!
I totally understand…we’ll be on a fixed income soon and it won’t be much. Who is going to support all these people and then their relatives that will follow. Children should not be separated from their parents, but it will cost a lot of money to house, feed, cloth and educate these people. We can’t take care of the elderly, sick and children we have in this country now. Our soldiers have fought and died for our freedom….many immigrants don’t want to stay in their country and fight for it. How many American’s are willing to sacrifice their children’s future …..because the money will have to come from the middle class working guy…supporting the rich and the poor.
I think we can do both things- protect our own and help others in need. I don’t think we have to stop being a caring nation in order to make sure we “get ours”. I’m sorry you are struggling, but I cannot stand by and be silent when our government is using innocent children as political pawns and collateral in a big power play. There has to be a way to keep our country safe from terrorists and crime and also allow people who are trying to make a better life for themselves and their children the chance to do so.
Hi Erin:
I am a Canadian and a parent and a person with a heart. I have donated to Raices. As a Canadian and a human, I could not stand by and watch what was happening south of the border and not do anything! Thank you so much for using your platform to educated and reach out to your followers.
Robbin
How sad and embarrassing it is that people from other countries are sending money to help with human rights violations happening in America.
Please join the protest in Washington DC on June 30th:
https://act.moveon.org/event/families-belong-together/search/
Thank you Erin for such a bold post. For the last year+ I have had to tip toe around family, friends and clients who take the position that the actions of this administration are permissible in a civilized society. I . AM. DONE. BEING QUIET ABOUT HOW I FEEL.
I love your blog and like you, am devastated by what is happening with these families. I never comment but I think I need to on this because unfortunately, the information you post here, while very relevant and important, is not fully accurate. So lets look at a few facts and then discuss what needs to be done immediately. First, if a family with children travels to an official border crossing and seeks asylum, they will not be separated. The law states that if someone is caught illegally crossing the border (this means trying to sneak in) they will be arrested, once they are arrested they are given the right to (i) be returned to their country of origin with their children or (ii) seek asylum.
If they choose to seek asylum there is a mandatory law (and this is where your statement above is incorrect) that children cannot be incarcerated with their parents (this is a law from the 9th circuit during the Obama administration) if they will be there for over 20 days. So basically the only two options at that point are (i) releasing the individuals into the country without vetting them just because they are there with kids (this leads to many trying to come in illegally and using children (including trafficking) to get into the country illegally or (ii) separating the children from their families while the family goes through processing. Seeking asylum after you have entered illegally takes more than 20 days so this is where the children are being separated from their parents. What needs to solve the immediate problem is for Congress (YES, BOTH PARTIES, HOW DARE I SAY IT) to pass a law that allows children to stay with their parents if they are processed after illegally crossing the border. But until that is done, there is IN FACT a law which says children must be separated from their parents if the parents are processed. Heartbreaking for all.
Here is an executive order that just came out: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/affording-congress-opportunity-address-family-separation/
**Lawyer Moms Official Statement on the Executive Order**
Now, more than ever, it is critical that Lawyer Moms and our supporters show up on June 29th to let Members of Congress know that swift measures must be taken to reunite the more than 2,345 migrant children who have already been separated from their parents and to prevent minors who continue to cross the border from being held indefinitely in adult detention facilities.
Trump’s June 20th Executive Order, “Affording Congress an Opportunity to Address Family Separation” (“Executive Order”) is a superficial bandage on the ongoing plight of migrant children at our southern border. Trump has placed the ball squarely in Congress’ court. We must ensure that Congress knows that Americans have not looked away.
We have immigration attorneys, right now, doing an in depth analysis of the Executive Order which we will provide as soon as it is available. Until then, we will share with you our immediate concerns:
1) The Executive Order is completely silent on the status of the more than 2,345 children who have already been separated from their parents and are currently being held in de-facto child internment camps around the country—with no system of tracking them relative to their parents.
2) Under the Executive Order, migrant children will be held with their families in adult detention facilities indefinitely, essentially creating internment camps.
3) The Executive Order sets no standard for the proper housing and care of these children beyond detaining them with their parents.
4) The Executive Order appears to contain a potential “escape clause” which threatens to, by default, reinstate family separation. The Executive Order provides:
(b) The Secretary shall not, however, detain an alien family together when there is a concern that detention of an alien child with the child’s alien parent would pose a risk to the child’s welfare.
Given that no standards are set for the housing of migrant families together in detention, it is unclear whether it is even possible for families to be housed in conditions which DO NOT by definition “pose a risk to the child’s welfare.”
5) It is unclear whether the Executive Order is legal and enforceable in light of the Settlement Agreement in Flores v. Sessions, CV 85-4544. The Executive Order appears to acknowledge as much by directing the Attorney General to seek a modification of that agreement.
As Lawyer Moms who jumped into this fight simply because we could not tolerate the separation of migrant children from their parents, our biggest takeaway from the President’s action today is that activism works. Constituent pressure works. Trump’s policy reversal, while far from ending this crisis, is a direct result of the powerful outcry of this group, the many other groups, and Americans everywhere who paused their busy lives to say, “Families Belong Together.” We must keep the energy going until every separated child is reunited with her family and no child languishes in federal detention facilities.
Our rally cry is “Reunite the Families.” Let do this!
#Reunitethefamilies
Amy: they *are* separating children from parents who are seeking asylum. It *is* happening.
Sasha, thank you so much for articulating this emotional issue with clarity and objectivity. Everyone is obviously heartbroken, what we need more of is education about how we go here and sincere collaboration about the path to ending it.
This is something I can now go research to learn more about. Thank you for your thoughtful and well worded comment.
The law states that children cannot be incarcerated with their parents. It does not state that all parents (or non-parents) trying to enter this country must be criminally prosecuted and incarcerated, leading to separation from their children. THAT is a Trump administration policy decision. How and when to enforce laws is – and always has been – subject to discretion. Prior administrations have used this discretion to avoid this immoral and cruel situation. Prior administrations have used alternatives, such as phone monitoring and ankle bracelets, to release immigrants and monitor their whereabouts while they await a court appearance. ICE’s own statistics on these alternative measures show they are highly effective.
Hilary, everything you say is correct. Phone monitoring and ankle bracelets are over 90% effective, by ICEs own statistics, and are a TOTALLY LEGAL ALTERNATIVE to family separation.
Sasha, while most of what you’ve stated is factually accurate, it is also incomplete. Amy’s comment s about narrowing the requirements for asylum are factual as well, and have drastically changed the nature of the situation at the boarder.
And this from your previous post “ (i) releasing the individuals into the country without vetting them just because they are there with kids (this leads to many trying to come in illegally and using children (including trafficking) to get into the country illegally” is pure rhetoric and not based in any facts or data. It is the rhetoric being used to scare us into thinking this reprehensible policy is necessary.
The solution for the narrow issue raised by Erin – separation of children from their parents – is very simple. Trump could direct his administration to no longer criminally charge and immediately incarcerate immigrant parents with children trying to enter this country. It could be resolved in one day. No closed door sessions are necessary. No endless debates are necessary. No Congressional action is necessary. It literally takes one sentence from the President.
Trump is purposefully conflating this issue with broader immigration issues (are you too?) to get Congress to hastily pass an immigration law that gives him and his advisors what they want. He is using the suffering of these children as bargaining chips. You say you are a lawyer, and you have written very intelligently in this conversation, which makes me believe that you understand the game Trump is playing. Please do not claim sympathy for the situation while perpetuating the conflation and false “facts.”
Sasha, the 80% success rate is for asylum “catch and release” (I can’t stand that term) overall. It does not look specifically at families with young children in programs that keep them together.
Hillary, you’re exactly right. This administration has ended the family case management program that kept families together until their court date. It was less restrictive and had a 99% success rate. This is a crisis of the administration’s own making.
Hillary, your point is absolutely correct. The Trump administration has adopted a policy that they will not release arrested individuals who they catch crossing the border (unlike the prior administration). Tracking whereabouts of released immigrants became nearly impossible since 80% would not return to their hearing dates. Illegal immigration did not improve under prior administrations. I don’t know what the solution is, I’m not a policy expert or a politician, but I personally don’t think any prior administration has done a great job with immigration policies. At this point though, its not about immigration policies, its about keeping these poor children with their families.
The Trump administration have drastically narrowed the reason that can be used to seek asylum. Whereas in the past people could seek asylum because they were facing violence and/or extreme poverty that would likely result in their deaths, this avenue has been taken away from them. They can now ONLY seek asylum if they can prove that they are directly being persecuted from their government. NONE of the people crossing the southern border can provide the evidence that the Trump administration would require for them to seek asylum. Additionally, those who do apply are told that the waiting period is so long that they will have to wait in what is essentially a detention center or jail for months or years, and at this point their children will be removed from them. So please don’t repeat the talking points, Trump rhetoric, the purpose of which is to obscure the facts.
Amy, you’ve completely missed the point of my comment, which was to state the law as it currently states. I’m not repeating Trump rhetoric, I’m just an informed individual who knows how to read laws. You can’t use negative commentary to take away from facts. I didn’t comment on the ease of seeking asylum, I just pointed out that there are two ways to do so.
While I don;t agree on your stance that it’s easy/ possible to legally apply for asylum, I do agree that Congress needs to ACT NOW (both parties, of course) to pass a law allowing families to stay together during process. We are a country built on the backs of immigrants, and right now we’ve made it nearly impossible to seek asylum in a humane way.
I think we need to act quickly to stop this and then redefine the nuances of the policies and how to change them so they protect US citizens and those seeking asylum. I don’t know what the perfect immigration policy is, obviously, but I think we all agree we need to stop using children as political pawns .
I never actually said that its easy to apply for asylum. I just described what the current process is. I think its very important at a time like this to speak about facts in addition to having sympathy to the people coming here. I came to this country as a refuge with my parents when I was 8 years old. I understand the process and as a lawyer, I also understand the law. These situations are not by any means simplistic and I think people need to understand all sides instead of just putting blame others. I think your post does a great job in showing that something needs to be urgently done to change the current situation.
I believe that all of the Democratic Senators have already signed on to such a law. Is that not correct? So it’s not really both parties that are the problem here.
Sorry, I meant bill, not law. Here is information about the bill:
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/6/19/17478656/keep-families-together-act-dianne-feinstein-senate-democrats-republicans-family-separation
That is not correct. So far there is no such law in place. The last I read, Speaker Ryan is putting something like this together but this means that both sides will have to ignore their special interests and do whats actually best for these families. Politics sickens me.
Thanks for posting, Erin. Very well said! We all need to get involved because this President is a bully and his administration is heartless! Boston will also take part in protests planned nationwide on Saturday, June 30 under the banner #FamiliesBelongTogether, which MoveOn and the National Domestic announced last night. The local event is being organized by March Forward Massachusetts.
Thank you Erin.
And I am frankly sick of people shifting the argument to “who’s policy is this”— sure sign that they are trying to sidestep the issue. It doesn’t matter what your political affiliation is.
What ever happened to “all lives matter”????
Does anyone think it’s ok to steal children from their parents for the following offenses:
public intoxication, disorderly conduct, trespass, vandalism, reckless driving, discharging a firearm within city limits…. so for speeding your baby could be taken away. For having a night out.
No. People are having their children taken away when seeking asylum (not illegal) and for illegal immigration (a misdemeanor— JUST LIKE the examples above).
**And the fact that we are nitpicking and dissecting laws in the face of terrified 8 month old babies is disgusting.**
As a doctor, I can tell you: we as a government are systematically harming children. That’s the official stance of the American Academy of Pediatrics. https://www.aappublications.org/news/2018/05/08/immigration050818
Thank you for using your platform to speak out against this, Erin. I know I have a hard time putting my boys down at night knowing there are moms and dads missing their children who don’t know when they’ll ever see them again–or knowing there are tiny babies and toddlers not being rocked to sleep, held, or touched. It is soul crushing.
Thank you for your courage in speaking out, and for the excellent suggestions on how we can help.
So glad you shared and posted about this horrific policy. It’s not just parents who are filled with rage at what is currently happening. While I may not have kids yet, what the Trump administration is currently doing fills me, as a compassionate, rational, normal human adult, with huge amounts of anger as well. You don’t need to be a parent yourself to know this is so so SO wrong.
YES YES YES. Thank you Erin for using your platform.
This makes me sad, too, but if they were following the law this wouldn’t happen. The parents are breaking laws.
One can tell through the comments who watches Fox News and who doesnt.
That is scarier than anything. Fox is the propaganda mouthpiece of this corrupt president. All lies and half of Americans believe these baldfaced lies they are served by trump, fox and co. Failure of the press if the first and most dangerous slide into fascism. I’m a studen of german history, and this is EXACTLY what happened in German in 1933 when Hitler took power. Most Germans did not want Hitler at the helm, but became powerless to do anything in only a few years of propaganda.
And Americans that say it can never happen here. ..?To that I say, he who does not learn history is doomed to repeat it. Trump is using the EXACT SAME RULE BOOK as the National Socialist Party did in Germany!
I have a masters degree in history and am not a crazy conspiracy theorist.
Actually, the Democratic Party has now become the party closest to Hitler. According to the left, the right does not have the right to even exist, unless they change their way of thinking. People who support Trump cannot even express their viewpoints, many of them valid and economically driven, without being unfairly called racists, bigots, etc. It’s time for the Democrats to live their ideals, instead of throwing stones while talking about kindness and tolerance. I voted for Gary Johnson in the last election, but the left have become the upholders of hate and intolerance in this country. All the while claiming to be the party with morals. It’s really despicable. Nothing can make them happy and if one of their pet issues gets resolved in an agreeable way, they will move on to the next issue, their ultimate goal being to remove Donald Trump from office.
Amen to you Jonsie! It’s about time someone points out how misleading the media has been! The sad thing is that CNN is the flip side of the coin – I am so tired of the media on both the right AND left forcing the facts to fit their predetermined opinions.
They are not breaking any law. They are coming here as refugees, seeking asylum, which is entirely legal in this country and is how many immigrants come to our nation LEGALLY. Furthermore, even if they were coming here illegally, taking someone’s children away is a horrific, disgusting form of “punishment.” I’ll remind you of your stance on this the next time you run a red light — see how you like it.
Pam,
What law WOULDN’T YOU BREAK to save your child? Think about that for 60 seconds. Something tells me that if your child’s life was in danger that you’d cross a border. I’m not interested in your moral lecturing as I can’t think of ANYTHING less American than allowing children to be separated from their parents while standing silent.
Pam, I don’t know if you have children, but surely you can have empathy. These families are in terrible situations, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to get a better life for their children. I think all parents can understand that. The U. S. has always been a place that people around the world come to when they aspire to have a better life. That is all these families are asking. We do have laws, and it may be decided that some of these families do not have a strong enough asylum case to stay. But there is NO reason to separate these children from their parents in the meantime.
They cannot seek legal asylum because the border agents are telling them the country is “full”. So there is no legal process right now for them to enter so they are desperate and do so illegally. We made it impossible.
THEY ARE NOT BREAKING THE LAW. Jesus. Many of them are trying to ask for ASYLUM which is never against the law. Have you ever had a speeding ticket? Were your children ripped from you and placed in a cage? Who TF cares if they “broke the law” when WE are putting their children in cages?? That should never happen here. Where did your ancestors come from? Jewish people were “breaking the law” and that is how they justified CONCENTRATION CAMPS where children were removed from their parents. They are trying to get away from countries where their CHILDREN are being RAPED and MURDERED. What would YOU do? THEY ARE US. There is no difference. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS SOMEONE ELSE’S CHILD.
Pam: I encourage you to do some reading on th topic, rather than continuing to believe and share misinformation. Seeking asylum means asking the U.S. to accept you — legally — because of persecution you are facing in your home country. Crossing the border illegally is a misdemeanor; Seeking asylum at a port of entry, however, is not a crime at all.
These comments are incorrect, please see my response below. Basically if the family seeks asylum at a border crossing they wont be separated but if they illegally enter and are caught and THEN seek asylum, they will be separated. I explain this below.
Bullshit. Bullshit. Bullshit. This is not complicated and confusing. It is detestable and immoral. Pam, I hope that sanctimonious attitude helps you sleep at night.
Christina – you are exactly right and I feel the same way. Maybe it’s because we share a first name? Their is so much hatred between people who share different opinions and theirin the problem lies…
With all due respect, in my opinion, you can state your opinion without having to take a personal attack at someone else “Pam, I hope that your sanctimonious attitude helps you sleep at night”. You know what that just did? That just turned Pam off…she’s gone. Maybe she would’ve stayed and read through some of the comments and maybe she would’ve learned something that she didn’t realize prior? Or maybe she’d maintain her position, but expand on why she feels the way she does…and maybe you’d learn something. Either way, both sides would not feel such vitriol against each other and maybe heels don’t need to be dug in deeper. Perhaps there is a compromise in here somewhere that allows us to keep children with their families, gives some the option of immigrating lawfully, but still upholds the immigration laws of our country. I feel like this type of personal attack is what keeps us from being able to make any progress. I see the logic and sense in both sides arguments, but I feel like we can never get to a middle ground because it’s always so heated.
These parents ARE NOT BREAKING THE LAW. They are presenting themselves at the border to apply for asylum, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW, and are being detained and separated from their children.
In the minority of cases, where the family is crossing illegally, the crime is a MISDEMEANOR, like shoplifting. We do not remove children from their parents for misdemeanors so that is no justification for this policy. Which, by the way, IS A POLICY, NOT A LAW.
A nonviolent misdemeanor? When else is forceable removal of a child a reasonable response to a misdemeanor charge? No.
They have not yet broken any laws. They have shown up at the border and asked for asylum. That is very different. And punishing a small child because of this is inexcusable. You cannot say this “makes me so sad” and then backpedal because they “broke the law”. Have some empathy.
Seeking asylum is completely legal. The parents have not broken the law, and even if they did, these families don’t deserve to be ripped apart.
Thank you Erin for using your voice! My hear is breaking for these little, vulnerable and scared children. We can’t stop shouting until they are reunited with their parents. Disgusted by this monstrous administration 💔
Thank you , Erin. If we all take action in some form, hopefully change will occur. But not soon enough. Breaks my heart that we are even having this conversation…
Thank you for this. If ever there was a time to speak up, it’s now. There is no justification for what is happening. NONE.