Ducey orders inspections of shelters – too late

What took him so long?

It’s a legitimate question.

Why is it only now that Gov. Doug Ducey is ordering the inspections of shelters where the Trump administration has warehoused immigrant children, some of them having been separated from their families?

The answer is fairly simple, actually. Fear.

Self-interest.

In essence, Ducey had to choose between protecting his political future or protecting children.

He chose his future.

When President Donald Trump initiated his “zero tolerance” policy and began tearing children away from their families at the border, the governors of several states reacted.

Some said they would refuse to send National Guard troops to the border, as the president had requested. Or ordered their troops to return. There were other actions.

Ducey did nothing.

Back in June, Arizona Democrats asked the governor to take action, to inspect the shelters, calling the separation of children from their parents “child abuse.”

Ducey made a token visit to a shelter. As did first lady Melania Trump. Photographs were taken and all was declared fine.

But it wasn’t fine. It has never been fine.

Now we have learned that some children were actually held in an empty office space with no kitchen, showers or outdoor space.

And we’ve learned about how an employee of one facility has been charged with child molestation, sexual abuse and aggravated assault.

And we’ve read, again and again, from the very fine reporters at The Arizona Republic and other news outlets, the sad, unnecessary horror stories of children removed from their families and of parents desperate to be reunited with their children.

Gov. Doug Ducey could have acted early.

But doing so would have risked alienating himself to the most ardent supporters of President Trump, the kind of voters Ducey must believe he needs in the Republican gubernatorial primary.

The governor has said more than once that he doesn’t approve of separating children from their families, but always with hedging his bets. As when he said, “I don’t want to see children separated from their parents. My heart breaks for these families. At the same time, we need to look at the role of parental responsibility when an adult is approaching our border conducting illegal activity with a child.”

Or when he said, “No one wants to see families separated. President Trump said he doesn't want to see

families separated, but we do want to see border security, and we do want to see legal migration.”

I’m not sure there is a greater responsibility that any adult has than to protect a child. Any child.

Ducey had an opportunity to do so several months ago and chose instead to protect himself, his political career.

Now, after so much damage has been done to so many children and their families, he has ordered the shelters to be inspected.

Better late than never, some might say.

No.

Not better.

Just ... late.