WORLD Recoil at plight of migrant children

DEMOCRATIC p o l i t i c i a n s vowed yesterday to end the “evil” separation of migrant children from their parents at the US border, as First Lady Melania Trump made a rare political plea to end the deeply controversial practice.

The “zero- tolerance” border security policy implemented by President Donald Trump’s administration has sparked outrage on both sides of politics and took on particular resonance as America celebrated Father’s Day.

Mr Trump has said he wants the separations to end, but continues to blame opposition Democrats for the crisis, which critics say is one of his own making.

“The Democrats should get together with their Republican counterparts and work something out on border security and safety. Don’t wait until after the election because you are going to lose!” he tweeted.

His wife, who seldom wades into the political arena, opted to call for bipartisan immigration reform rather than denouncing the policy.

“Mrs Trump hates to see children separated from families and hopes both sides of the aisle can come together to achieve successful immigration reform,” her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said.

“She believes we need to be a country that follows all laws, but also a country that governs with heart.”

Immigration is one of the most divisive, hot- button crises plaguing the Trump administration.

During one recent six- week period, the government said nearly 2000 minors were separated from their parents or adult guardians – a figure that only stoked the firestorm.

The number of separations has jumped since early May, when Attorney- General Jeff Sessions announced that all migrants illegally crossing the US border with Mexico would be arrested, regardless of whether the adults were seeking asylum.

Since children cannot be sent to the facilities where their parents are held, they are separated, which the American Academy of Paediatrics has warned causes “irreparable harm” to the children.

Some of Mr Trump’s fellow Republicans have said the policy must end.

“What the administration has decided to do is to separate children from their parents to try to send a message that if you cross the border with children, your children are going to be ripped away from you,” Senator Susan Collins said.