ColinEssex said:
I see on the news that Trump has decreed that all illegal Mexican children be separated from their families.
Yes, this is happening, but not necessarily just Mexican children. All countries that come through Mexico as their path to the USA. This includes various nations like Nicaragua, Honduras, Ecuador, Panama, etc. - Central and South America too.
It is happening because Trump is enforcing various USA immigration laws by filing criminal charges of illegal immigration against the parents, which means they get sent to a jail. But the minors aren't being charged so no jail for them. But that leaves two other very unpleasant choices: (a) leave them roaming the streets where they could be recruited by pimps or captured by human traffickers or (b) keep them off the streets in facilities that, yes, are a type of detention. They aren't here legally either.
People in this country don't like it either, but I am (grudgingly) on Trump's side in this issue for a simple reason. In his oath of office, he swore to enforce and support the laws of the USA. This detention of children in a non-jail facility is doing that.
At every news conference where this comes up, the Trump zero-tolerance policy is clear, but so is his continued jab at Congress. THEY make the laws; he has sworn to enforce them. He is doing exactly that. He has made it clear many times that if Congress would act to change the laws, he would enforce the new laws.
Last year, when he announced his crackdown on illegals, he suspended his zero-tolerance policies for DACA for a couple of months and practically begged Congress to change that law - but they did not. This topic has come up again and again - that he does not make law and that it is up to Congress to make changes. So far, they can't agree on what to do. Trump is not blameless but he doesn't have blame for this sad situation totally on his shoulders.
I don't know how much of that makes it over the pond, but the truth is that the kids are here illegally and we are trying to stop them, send them back to where they originated, and stop the flow of people who drain our country of resources needed for our own poor people. The zero-tolerance policy is an attempt to make it clear to those who have not gotten here yet that their choice was bad. The recent policy shift on tightening asylum law is also intended to make people think twice before coming here.
Col, I know you've mentioned this theme yourself many times. The USA and the UK may have different approaches but they are both facing the same problem. Too many immigrants, not enough resources, and the newly arrived people do not quickly pay back enough in taxes to offset at least some of the cost of letting them stay.