Washington, June 20, 2018 – President Trump announced he is signing an executive order to stop his policy of separating parents from children as they cross the border without documentation but will still imprison families. The following is a statement by Esther D. Brimmer, Executive Director and CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators.
“Religious leaders, Democrats, Republicans, business leaders, First Ladies, organizations and institutions around the world publicly agreed that children belong with their families, not in cages. Today’s long overdue cessation of a horrendous policy to separate families is not a permanent solution to ending the atrocities faced by of those seeking asylum or a better life in the United States. Although families will no longer be separated, families will still be imprisoned. Families do not belong in prisons or holding cells—they belong in communities. Families seeking asylum in the United States need and deserve protection and opportunity, not detention. Simply put, this executive order is not enough to solve America’s immigration problems.
"Today, the work to end the nation’s long-standing immigration crisis must begin. America needs a commonsense immigration system that is fair and holds fast to our values as a welcoming nation, or else we are just putting a bandage on a gaping wound. We will continue to urge Congress to vote against the Goodlatte and Ryan bills that would do nothing to permanently resolve this human rights crisis. It’s time to be the country we say we are, not one that will make our children ashamed of our history.”