Three-year-old Jose Jr., from
Honduras, is helped by
representative of the Southern
Poverty Law Center as he is reunited
with his father Tuesday, July 10,
2018, in Phoenix. Lugging little
backpacks, smiling immigrant
children were scooped up into their
parents' arms Tuesday as the Trump
administration scrambled to meet a
court-ordered deadline to reunite
dozens of youngsters forcibly
separated from their families at the
border. (Photo: Ross D. Franklin,
AP)
Let's
re-unite
children
and
parents
now!
Op-Ed by
Rev.
Wendell
Anthony
President-Detroit
Branch
NAACP
DETROIT
– The
Coalition
led by
the
Detroit
Branch
NAACP
which
includes
Grand
Rapids
Branch
NAACP,
Michigan
State
Conference
NAACP,
Michigan
Conference
United
Church
of
Christ,
Arab
American
Civil
Rights
League
(ACRL),
ACLU of
Michigan,
Greater
Lansing
Clergy
Forum,
LA SED,
Progressive
National
Baptist
Convention,
UAW
Region
1D, and
LEAD
Michigan
supports
the
recent
efforts
of the
Bethany
Christian
Center
to
re-unite
children
under 5
with
their
families.
This
coalition
made a
trip to
Grand
Rapids
on June
27th to
protest
the
separation
of
children
from
their
families
at the
border
by the
Trump
administration.
It also
included
a
sit-down
discussion
with
officials
at the
Bethany
Christian
Center
on the
need to
re-unite
all
children.
The
Federal
court
has
determined
that
children
under 5
must be
re-united
with
their
families
as of
July
10th.
The
Trump
administration
is
seeking
an
extension
due to
the fact
that
they are
unable
to
identify
parent
and
child.
In the
words of
a mother
separated
from her
child at
the
border,
“Why was
it so
easy to
take my
child
from me
and yet
so hard
for you
to bring
my child
back to
me?”
This
evil
incompetence
on the
part of
the
Trump
administration
reflects
the
malfunction
in the
very
heart of
the
American
spirit.
America
has
traditionally
been a
nation
that has
welcomed
asylum-seekers.
It is
reported
that
both
legal,
as well
as those
who may
fall
into an
illegal
category,
are
being
turned
away at
the
border.
Article
14 of
the
Universal
Declaration
of Human
Rights
states,
“Everyone
has the
right to
seek and
to enjoy
in other
countries
asylum
from
persecution.”
Both the
United
Nations
1951
Convention
related
the
status
of
refugees
and the
1967
protocol
relating
the
status
of
refugees
guides
national
legislation
concerning
political
asylum.
The
United
States
has
traditionally
recognized
the
right of
asylum
of
individuals
specified
by both
federal
and
international
law.
While we
remain
cautiously
optimistic
about
the
re-unification
of the
children
under 5
with
their
families,
only 38
of 102
have
been
re-united
at this
time. In
addition
to this,
there
are
still
2900
children
over 5
who are
also
separated,
and the
court
has
mandated
that
they
must be
re-united
with
their
parents
by July
27th.
U.S.
District
Judge
Dolly M.
Gee
indicated
that
this
entire
situation,
“was an
ill-considered
executive
action.”
We agree
with the
judge in
this
case.
We also
note
that
Bethany
President
and CEO
Chris
Palusky
agrees
with our
coalition.
As he
said,
“The
forced
separation
of
refugee
children
from
asylum-seeking
families
is a
gaping
wound in
our
country,
and this
wound
cannot
even
begin to
heal
until
every
child is
reunited
with
their
families.
It is
never OK
to
separate
a child
from
their
family.
When
they are
seeking
asylum,
they are
fleeing.
The
definition
of
refugee
is
someone
who is
fleeing
for
their
lives or
security.”
This is
exactly
the
position
that
many of
us
across
the
country
who
believe
in the
dignity
of all
people
have
been
advocating.
It is
even
made
clearer
by the
words of
Jesus
the
Christ
who
reminds
us all,
“I was
hungry
and you
gave me
something
to eat.
I was
thirsty
and you
gave me
something
to
drink.
Naked
and you
clothed
me. I
was a
stranger
and you
took me
in,”
Matthew
25:35.
We must
continue
to keep
the
pressure
on our
elected
officials,
in
particular
President
Donald
Trump,
and his
surrogate
Attorney
General
Jeff
Sessions,
who
created
this
mess.
The
current
action
is not
enough.
Further,
we
cannot
trust
the
Trump
administration
to do
what is
right.
They
regularly
seem to
do only
that
which is
politically
expedient.
We as a
nation
must
reach
down
within
ourselves
to bring
the best
out of
ourselves.
We all
know
that
America
is
better
than
this.
LET’S
RE-UNITE
THE
CHILDREN
WITH
THEIR
FAMILIES
NOW!
I
HI TECH NEWS
I
SPORTS
I
DETROIT
– The
Coalition
led by
the
Detroit
Branch
NAACP
which
includes
Grand
Rapids
Branch
NAACP,
Michigan
State
Conference
NAACP,
Michigan
Conference
United
Church
of
Christ,
Arab
American
Civil
Rights
League
(ACRL),
ACLU of
Michigan,
Greater
Lansing
Clergy
Forum,
LA SED,
Progressive
National
Baptist
Convention,
UAW
Region
1D, and
LEAD
Michigan
supports
the
recent
efforts
of the
Bethany
Christian
Center
to
re-unite
children
under 5
with
their
families.
This
coalition
made a
trip to
Grand
Rapids
on June
27th to
protest
the
separation
of
children
from
their
families
at the
border
by the
Trump
administration.
It also
included
a
sit-down
discussion
with
officials
at the
Bethany
Christian
Center
on the
need to
re-unite
all
children.
The
Federal
court
has
determined
that
children
under 5
must be
re-united
with
their
families
as of
July
10th.
The
Trump
administration
is
seeking
an
extension
due to
the fact
that
they are
unable
to
identify
parent
and
child.
In the
words of
a mother
separated
from her
child at
the
border,
“Why was
it so
easy to
take my
child
from me
and yet
so hard
for you
to bring
my child
back to
me?”
This
evil
incompetence
on the
part of
the
Trump
administration
reflects
the
malfunction
in the
very
heart of
the
American
spirit.
