TRUMP SHAMED
President forced into U-turn over Mexican kids locked up away from parents
DONALD Trump has signed an order to stop children being taken from “illegal immigrant” parents – opting to lock up families together instead.
Widespread revulsion over his zero tolerance border policy, at home and abroad, has shamed the President into his desperate legal bid to end the crisis.
He said: “We have to be very strong but we want to be very compassionate.”
But his new plan would simply mean that families caught crossing into the US from Mexico will be held together in custody as parents awaited criminal prosecution for illegal entry.
And this could violate a 1997 ruling limiting the duration of child detentions.
Trump’s zero tolerance policy, aimed at all adults entering the US without paperwork, was launched in April.
It has led to more than 2,300 children being locked up separately from parents.
Young babies were put in “tender age” shelters, it emerged after an inspection by lawyers and medics yesterday.
Responding to reports, Theresa May said the detentions were “deeply disturbing” and “wrong”.
She said she was “clearly, wholly and unequivocally” clear that she disagreed.
But she insisted Trump’s visit to the UK must go ahead next month to ensure discussion of “shared interests”.
Trump also came under pressure from daughter Ivanka, who asked him: “Daddy, what are we doing about this?” His U-turn came after he falsely blamed Democrats for his own policy and wrongly said Congress was the only body that could change the law.
■ Trump’s ex-aide Corey Lewandowski sparked fury by mocking a 10-year-old Down syndrome girl separated from her mum. He rolled his eyes and made a “whuh, whuh” sound on Fox news.