These last few years have been extremely turbulent in terms of political relations. In April of 2018, Trump created a “zero tolerance” policy for illegal immigrants. This was meant to detain the adults who illegally crossed the border into America. However, this inevitably left families separated and children without their mothers and fathers.

This picture is from the Families Belong Together March that occurred on June 30, 2018. At this event, there were hundreds of thousands of people protesting this separation in over 700 cities in the United States.

They all banded together under the one message, “Families Belong Together.” Under this act from the Trump administration, there were children younger than toddlers being forced away from their families for months. They were barely taken care of with reports of children having to change the babies because no one was coming to clean them up. Another heartbreaking fact is that some of these children have to represent themselves, without a lawyer, in an immigration hearing.

Why does all of this matter now? What is the kairos that surrounds this event? Obviously, this election caused a huge rift between many of the country. However, what almost everyone in the country could agree on was that little children should not be kept in cages and away from their parents.

After this public outcry, Trump enacted a 30-day deadline that would hopefully reunite all of the families. However, But 711 children remain in government shelters because their parents have criminal records, their cases remain under review or the parents are no longer in the United States, officials said. They added that 431 parents of those children have been deported. (From the Washington Post July 26, 2018) 

In this case of civil outcry, people at least were able to make a small change and reunite over half of the children with their parents. But, this is not enough. None of these children should be in detention centers. None of them should be asking where their parents are. None of them should be afraid of being abused by the people in charge of them.

One heartbreaking case saw a 6-year-old girl, known only as D.L., sexually abused by another person in the detention facility. Without a lawyer or a parent present, she was forced to sign an agreement that said she would stay away from her alleged abuser. This was useless, however, because just a few days later the abuser was back and this time beat her and then molested her right after. This child was not protected either time in this detention center, which only goes to show that these children were nothing less than neglected.

A small part of the acknowledgment of the “Good Touch, Bad Touch” that D.L. had to sign.

People in politics, even in Trump’s own party, has called this whole policy as “a cruel, inhumane unconstitutional policy. Now we’re trying to fix it in every way we can and make these families whole.”

There is still much more that needs to be done, but for the time being, we have to appreciate and help those families that have been reunited. If you would like to help any of these families in need, follow this link here, and see where your help is needed.