Separating Children from Parents Harmful and Must Stop

Statement by Ken Kimmell, President, Union of Concerned Scientists

Published Jun 19, 2018

WASHINGTON (June 19, 2018)—President Donald Trump has put in place a policy that separates children from their parents or other loved ones when they are apprehended crossing our border. 

Below is a statement by Ken Kimmell, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

“There are times when all decent people must speak out, lest silence be interpreted as complicity.  This is one of these times.   President Trump has decided to tear children away from their parents in a cruel scheme to dissuade people from entering or seeking asylum in this country.  This is morally repugnant, and it is exacerbated by his false statements blaming others for this decision.  There is a large body of research that tells us that subjecting young children to this abuse can scar them for their lifetimes.  The Union of Concerned Scientists condemns this in the strongest of possible terms and calls on Mr. Trump to immediately stop this inhumane, manufactured crisis that treats children as political pawns. Children must be reunited with their parents.  And if he will not do so, Congress must immediately pass a law putting an end to this affront to human decency. “