John Moore, Getty Images


Donald Trump
has said he will sign an executive order ending the forced separation of children and parents at the border. It won’t correct the harm done to children these last few weeks, which has included drugging them, according to a lawsuit.

Some observations on that from various reporters:

* Philip Rucker, Washington Post:

Advertisement

Trump just said he will sign an executive order to effectively halt his administration’s family separation policy. POTUS, Nielsen and others were not telling the truth when they previously claimed only Congress could stop family separation.

Add Tom Cotton, Doyle Webb and various dishonest Republicans to the list of liars.

* Kaitlan Collins, CNN:

To be clear, President Trump doesn’t have to sign an executive order to end the separation of families on the border.

* Josh Dawsey, Washington Post:

Advertisement

For days, Trump has said only Congress can fix the separations issue while falsely blaming Democrats. Kirstjen Nielsen has said it is not an administration policy. But now Trump is signing an executive order to change the administration’s policy.

I also liked the quick statement from Democracy for America:

“Donald Trump’s disgusting attempt to appear heroic by signing an executive order to temporarily end a policy of systematic child abuse that he pushed for, enabled, and excused is one of the vilest, politically-craven moves we’ve seen in the history of American politics.

“Let’s be clear: Donald Trump and the administration he runs have spent nearly six weeks systematically ripping infants, toddlers, and children from the arms of asylum-seeking mothers and fathers fleeing violence and placing them in concentration camps and foster homes.

“No executive order Donald Trump signs can even begin to erase the psychological torment he’s subjected these children and families to or the profound moral shame the actions of the Trump administration have brought to the country.

“Along with millions of Americans across the country, we refuse to be silent until every single infant, toddler, and child that Donald Trump’s administration has ripped from their parents’ arms is returned to them; all immigrants and families who are being needlessly and possibly illegally detained are freed; and the people who organized, perpetrated, and cheered on this immoral assault on human decency are brought to justice in the courts and at the ballot box.” — Jim Dean, Chair, Democracy for America

PS: American Airlines has asked the government not to put children separated from families on its flights.

Advertisement

PPS: Trump was joined by the mean Tom Cotton at his announcement of a coming executive order. Cotton used the soapbox to again make the wildly unsubstantiated suggestion that children are being used for cover for criminals. He grudgingly added it would be nice to keep families together (in detention, of course.)

Gov. Asa Hutchinson also decided today, after weeks of saying little, that he should say something. Better late than never — barely.

Advertisement


He should ask Trump not to send children to Arkansas. He should pull National Guard troops from the border. If children are to be sent here he should demand paperwork connecting those children to a parent somewhere.

Indeed Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, Rep. Charles Blake and Sen. Keith Ingram, have written the governor asking him NOT to commit to a zero-tolerance policy and to keep National Guard troops in Arkansas.

Advertisement

But whatever Trump does, watch out. From Chris Hayes, a prediction:

As far as I can tell, whatever the president signs today will not end the so called “zero-tolerance” policy that is flooding the system with criminal prosecutions of desperate people who are overwhelmingly seeking asylum.

It will likely lead to indefinite detention of children (with their parents) in violation of a federal consent decree.

People working the border also claim this:

Advertisement

“The Trump admin is blocking asylum seekers from presenting at legal ports of entry to ask for help. So They have to cross the border to ask for help as they flee from violence and poverty. When they do, their children are torn away from them because they are now “criminals.””

Arkansas Times: Your voice in the fight

Are you tired of watered-down news and biased reporting? The Arkansas Times has been fighting for truth and justice for 50 years. As an alternative newspaper in Little Rock, we are tough, determined, and unafraid to take on powerful forces. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, we are making a difference. But we can't do it without you. Join the 3,400 paid subscribers who support our great journalism and help us hire more writers. Sign up for a subscription today or make a donation of as little as $1 and help keep the Arkansas Times feisty for years to come.

Previous article With Trump, of course, there’s a catch Next article Another prison death under investigation