What is going on in the US?

They aren't Mexican, Ellie. At least not the big majority of them (Mexican government said only 23 were from Mexico and apparently they are with their families now). They are from Central America and they fled from war. Mexico has years of acting like a henchman to the USA and used to help past governments to stop migrants. Now there's not a good relationship with the USA.

Also it's not something new. The awful cages were actually implemented by Obama administration. I just saw this great thread about his policies:



He was awful on immigration and, of course, Trump is positioning himself to be even worse, with the added factor that he is dumb so he isn't even trying to hide it (like Obama tried. Although I remember articles in the NYT but somehow they didn't tarnished his image!). Trump implemented the separation of families and members of his administration openly talked about it! I guess that's why finally everyone is talking about it!

Sadly, yes, it's very real!

This is completely on Trump. Six weeks ago he instituted a zero tolerance policy for illegal border crossings. Most of these refugees are from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. In order to request asylum in the US, you need to present yourself at a port of entry. If you do that, your family will not be separated. However, officials at ports of entry are telling people they’re overwhelmed and can’t be processed. They’re sending folks away. So people are hanging out for days and finally try to cross illegally, getting arrested and the family separated. Others are just crossing illegally. There are some cases of children arriving w/out family members, child slave trafficking, etc, as there have always been.

Crossing illegally is a misdemeanor (equivalent to a parking ticket), but now they are being prosecuted and families separated. The parents are usually deported within 48 hours, but by then the children are god knows where (they’re being flown to facilities all over the country) and aren’t returned to the parents. Many of those children will probably never see their parents again. They can’t possibly keep track of thousands of children who are being handled by a different governmental agency. There aren’t enough judges to oversee these cases, but Trump won’t allow the hiring of more judges to speed up the process.

The tents and cages they’re storing these kids in appear to be comfortable, air conditioned, adequate food (that we know of), but the children are being traumatized by the very situation of being separated. They are essentially in jail. The caretakers are not allowed to touch the children, so there is little they can do to counter the terror the kids are going through. The kids are screaming and crying. Hundreds of babies are being held in “tender age” facilities. Babies!

Our legislators are dithering as usual. Some say Trump needs to fix the policy because he caused it. Trump and his group are spreading lies and saying this was caused by the democrats and Congress needs to solve it. It’s a mess. Many folks believe that Trump caused this chaos on purpose to hold the kids hostage in exchange for approval to build his god damn wall.

The press (and Senators!) are not being allowed in the detention centers/internment camps, so all we have is some sneaky footage being smuggled out and what is being distributed by the government (which no one trusts, obviously).

I was in tears last night for hours. This is horrible and wrong. Trump is a depraved monster. There is a lot of misinformation and flat out lies being spread, and the fascist leaning assholes in the general population are emboldened now to compare these refugees to animals and pests. It’s disgusting.

You're right mllemass, that it shouldn't take images of crying children for people to realize how horrible this is. But right now in the US, emotions are driving the bus in many ways. Without the heartbreaking images, some people just wouldn't get it.

Lots of people would get it anyway, but the photos and onscene reports are energizing people and driving them to do something, anything to try to get the Trump administration to stop this.

I was at a town-hall meeting this weekend , where our local US Senator Elizabeth Warren spoke and did a Q&A. (She is firmly against this policy).
There were lots of great questions and discussions, But this new separation/zero-tolerance policy, the harm it is causing innocent children and the need to stop it was the issue that provoked the strongest response- people were in tears,people were clamoring, were desperate for some way, anything they could do to make this stop right now (these kids can't wait until the November election). People were figuring out plans to bombard Congressional and local government leaders with demands they take action, getting buses to go to the border, detention centers to protest.

A few days later our state governor Baker changed course and decided not to send State National Guard to assist ICE and BP and he denounced the family separation policy calling it "cruel and inhumane". (He's a Republican, so this new stance is against his party's stance)

As the horrible emotional images are being spread and discussed, it has driven people to action, pressuring their government representatives and planning widespread demonstrations in over 100 cities across the country .

Just now , Trump has said * he will sign an order to end the separation policy (something he could have done weeks ago). So these reports and public outcries are having some effect.

Sorry to go on a bit, but this is just unconscionable. Yeah, a lot of bad stuff has happened and been done before, but this is happening now, carried out by people who then lie about what they are doing, whether they are doing it, whether it's their fault, whether it's required by law, whether they are justified . It's downright evil .

* Trump says a lot of things, much of it not true, so we shall see.

The US has withdrawn from the UN human rights council, probably before it gets kicked out. I’m from the US, and my heart is broken. I’m afraid that conditions are worse than we’re being allowed to see. There’s no way to know what’s real. If we even get through this, we’re creating a generation of terrorists. I’ve always been proud to be American, but no longer.