Tag: Separation of concerns

Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, Sanders invoked the Bible to defend the Trump administration’s immigration policy of separating mothers from their children. Child abuse is now part of America's official immigration policy | Michael Paarlberg Read more She was speaking at Thursday’s White House briefing, in response to a question about comments made by the attorney general Jeff Sessions, where he cited a passage in the Bible to justify the policy. He added: “Orderly and lawful processes are good in themselves and protect the weak and lawful.” Sanders was asked about Sessions’ statement, and was challenged: “Where does it say in the Bible that’s moral to take children away from mothers?” Pushing back, Sanders said: “I’m not aware of the attorney general’s comments or what he would be referencing, [but] I can say that it is very biblical to enforce the law. That is repeated throughout the Bible.” The policy of separating undocumented parents from their children at the border was announced by Sessions in May as part of a “zero-tolerance policy”. If you don’t like that, then don’t smuggle children over our border.” It has since met a wide range of criticism including from the United Nations human rights office as well as from prominent evangelical groups. The Republican bill would also ensure more than $23bn in border security, a majority of which would be used to build a wall along the border with Mexico. The House is expected to vote on the bill and an alternative, more conservative plan next week. The White House defence came as it emerged that the US government will open a temporary shelter for unaccompanied immigrant children in far west Texas, as existing facilities for children reach capacity under the zero-tolerance policy. A spokesman for the US Department of Health and Human Services said on Thursday that the department had selected the Tornillo port of entry as a temporary shelter location, 40 miles south-east of El Paso, in an area of desert where temperatures routinely approach 100F (37C). Hundreds of families have been separated, with parents detained and their children placed in government shelters.