Stop using families as political leverage

The New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association members are fathers and mothers first and lawyers second. As parents, we condemned the current administration’s policy of separating families that have been stopped at the U.S. border. The practice of separating children from their parents was part of a zero-tolerance policy that began in May and has separated nearly 2,300 children from their parents, including families seeking asylum. An executive order entered on June 20 states a new policy of detaining families together but does not address what to do with the children already separated from their families.

The executive order will undoubtedly cause a host of new problems if families are detained indefinitely while immigration proceedings are pending, including potentially violating a longstanding settlement that prohibits detaining immigrant minors for over 20 days. Given our overburdened immigration system, the zero-tolerance policy could result in thousands of immigrants being held at great expense and great personal hardship to the families, while still not addressing the core problem of fixing our immigration system.

We believe the practice of separating families stopped at the border was politically motivated and was not justifiable under any circumstances. This practice, along with the practice of detaining families indefinitely is unnecessary, vindictive and is antithetical to our principles as a nation.

We urge New Mexico’s lawmakers and citizens to demand that the current administration immediately end the practice of using immigrant children and their families as political leverage.