I cannot state it more plainly than this: History is repeating itself. One of the worst episodes in the history of humanity is currently unfolding, again, on our borders. I am disturbed by the stories I have seen and heard about children being removed from their parents because they are coming to the US illegally. It seems surreal to me that this could happen in 2018. My mind has been spinning while I try to find a way to do something. What can I do? My funds and resources are limited. I can speak out. I can research. I can bring truths buried by all the noise to light.
The new executive order includes no concession for re-uniting families that were previously separated. This hit me like a ton of bricks when I read it. Trump is “conceding”, yet has no plans to right his wrongs. It feels as if Trump is trying to use sleight of hand here, and he is either really bad at it, or there is something even worse brewing. When has Trump ever publicly announced that he has lost or was wrong? His attempt to pretend to “fix” his mistake was literally to create an equally (if not worse-- time will tell) abhorrent situation.
Some other truths you may not be aware of:
Trump is requesting to hold families in detention centers indefinitely.
Illegal immigration is a misdemeanor offense, not a felony.
Allegations of increased criminal activity, and specifically violent or drug-related crimes from immigrants, undocumented immigrants, or the communities in which they live have been debunked by several studies. The opposite is actually true in many cases.
Illegal border crossing has also been decreasing since 2000 with no notable difference in the decline since Trump took office (meaning that Trump has had virtually no effect on immigration numbers).
The main sources of my information were NPR and CNN.
Educate yourselves. Arm yourselves with knowledge and do whatever you can to end the injustices you see. Enough bread and circuses. It is time to act.