Separating immigrant families is unconstitutional

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

Homeland Security SecretaryKirstjen Nielsen was recently presented with a proposal to enact a policy of separating immigrant children from their parents as an alleged way of halting immigrant families from coming to the United States. If approved, this policy would give the stamp of approval to a horrible and unconstitutional practice that families my organization works with in Texas are already experiencing.

The Obama administration tried something similar to deter immigrant families from coming to the U.S. In August 2014 the government began a policy of not issuing bonds to families with the stated aim of forcing them to remain in detention to discourage future immigrant families from coming to the U.S.

In 2015 a federal district court in Washington D.C. ruled the no-bond policy unconstitutional, in part for lacking any evidentiary correlation to preventing new arrivals and because it unjustifiably denied the families their liberty in order to attempt to change the behaviors of other people.

The Trump administration is attempting to do the exact same thing, and it is also unconstitutional for similar reasons. First, our constitution does not allow the government to punish one person solely in an attempt to alter the behavior of someone else. Second, there is absolutely no evidence that separating families will deter morefamilies from coming. I have worked with detained families for over three years and the vast majority of them are asylum seekers fleeing persecution in their home country.

 

http://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/366797-separating-immigrant-families-is-unconstitutional
 

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

  The answer to their problem is to not try to come to the US illegally.   Personally I think the cheapest solution is a one way ticket home and a lifetime bar from any future immigration benefit.  Make it painful to break our laws and maybe people will wake up. 

[Crazy Cat 42,293]

What is unconstitutional about removing people who have entered our country illegally? Choices bring consequences.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

This is another topic for which reading the underlying text in its entirety is useful.

[Boiler 46,107]

Who is suggesting they should be separated?

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

5 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Who is suggesting they should be separated?

Didja miss the entire article?

[Boiler 46,107]

9 minutes ago, Il Mango Dulce said:

Didja miss the entire article?

Like I said they should stay together pending deportation.

[eieio 1,594]

Send them all back together if they are upset about it.