Trump politicizes children’s deaths
Felipe Gómez Alonzo, eight years old. Jakelin Caal Maquin, seven years old. These two Guatemalan children who died while in U.S. custody have put a face to the ongoing humanitarian crisis at the border.
In times of turmoil, the world has historically looked to the United States for leadership, but instead of publicly mourning the loss of these young lives and seeking a lasting solution to the tragic circumstances that led to their arduous journey, President Donald Trump is using them as pawns in a game of political brinksmanship against congressional Democrats as he seeks to make good on his promise of building a 1,954-mile (3,145 km) wall to keep out “invaders” such as the two fallen children.
Trump initially cast blame on the children’s parents, even though Maquin’s father has vehemently disputed claims that his daughter had been deprived of water before being taken into custody by border patrol agents. When that strategy began to show signs of backfiring, Trump shifted gears and is now blaming Democrats for the deaths of Alonzo and Maquin, falsely stating that immigration laws passed by Democrats are responsible for the flight from danger taking place in central American nations such as Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.
In fact, the United States has for more than 50 years been a signatory to a United Nations convention on the treatment of refugees and is bound by both international and domestic law to provide medical care and humane treatment for those seeking asylum. Sadly, the country that claims to be a beacon for law and justice is not living up to its obligations, and Trump continues to thumb his nose at the international community.
Nora Preciado, senior staff attorney at the National Immigration Law Center, is suing the federal government because of “deplorable conditions” at detention centers where refugees are routinely held.
“The death of 7-year-old Jakelin Amei Rosmery Caal Maquin is a tragic reminder of a longstanding pattern of systemic cruelty and secrecy at CBP (Customs and Border Patrol) and its parent agency, DHS (Department of Homeland Security), and underscores the stark need for greater transparency and accountability at these agencies,” Preciado said after the death of Maquin. “Sadly, the culture of cruelty at CBP has only worsened under the Trump administration. By DHS’s own account, Jakelin and dozens of people apprehended by CBP at the same time were kept for hours in a ‘covered area’ before being transported to a Border Patrol station and before she received medical care. Overnight temperatures in the region can fall to below freezing this time of year.”
Texas Democratic Congressman Castro is calling for investigations into the CPB and the facilities in which the migrant refugees, especially children, are being held.
“The conditions there really are subhuman,” Castro said, adding, “There is an overall systemic crisis within CBP.”
In the meantime, Trump continues to lie to the American public as he struggles to please his anti-immigrant base on the eve of Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives. With each passing day, more officials are shaking their heads at the callous lack of leadership from the White House and repeating a refrain heard when Trump and then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions first began their policy of separating children from their parents: “America is better than this.” (La Semana)