At least 3,000 migrating Hondurans crossed into Guatemala on Monday on their way to seek refuge in Mexico or the United States, according to the news publication Reuters.
This news comes only a few days after Donald Trump confirmed that his administration is considering a new family separation policy at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“We’re looking at everything that you could look at when it comes to illegal immigration,” Trump responded when asked about the possibility of a new family separation policy. His argument is that family separations are a good way to “scare away” undocumented migrants from trying to come into the United States.
“If they feel there will be separation, they won’t come,” Trump said.
Trump truly believes using the inhumane separation of children from their families is the best way to remedy the increase number of asylum and refugee requests by desperate Central American migrants at the border.
“We’re going to drop in on Donald Trump. He has to take us in,” 24 year-old, Andrea Fernandez, told Reuters. Fernandez, and her three children, a newborn, a 5-year-old girl and 7-year-old son are currently making the way northward as part of the Honduran migrant caravan.
Can you imagine the desperation Fernandez may have having to make the decision to bring her three children, knowing well the horrendous and inhumane policies that the Trump administration put the last migrant caravan through?
One can’t even begin to imagine the fate that these asylum and refugee seekers will face once their reach their destination.
According to the Washington Post, one option being considered will allow for the government to detain asylum-seeking families together for up to 20 days.
After that, parents will be given a choice: Stay in family detention with their child for months or years as their immigration case proceeds, or allow children to be taken to a government shelter so other relatives or guardians can seek custody.
Even if this is the case, recent reports have shown that even undocumented relatives or guardians looking to sponsor those children have been detained in the process.
It is a vicious cycle that benefits no one, except the Trump administration and their radically racist and xenophobic agenda.
As the country awaits for this second wave of Central American migrants making their way to our southern borders, more than 60 migrant children separated from their loved ones under Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy still remain under U.S. custody.