Beyond the Border: Family Separation in the Trump Era

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W H I T E PA P E R March 2019

Beyond the Border:

Family Separation in the Trump Era In the spring of 2018, America witnessed the implementation of what many observers denounced as an immoral and inhumane de facto family separation policy.* The policy resulted in nearly 3,000 children being forcibly separated from parents on the southern border.1 Despite a court order requiring the reunification of these families, as of August 2018, more than 500 children had not been reunited with their parents. Court records revealed that a significant number of parents were deported without their child after being misled by immigration authorities.2 The Trump administration’s so-called “zero-tolerance” policy has rightfully caused national outrage and mobilized hundreds of thousands of Americans to protest across the nation.

Inside Up to Six Million American Children at Risk.............................................................3 The Sources of Risk to American Children......................................................6 The Revival of Worksite Enforcement Actions............................................9 State and Local Entanglement in Federal Immigration Enforcement...............10 A New Tool: Use of the Legal Immigration System to Disrupt Unity.................................... 14 The Specific Harms to American Children.................................................... 17 Economic Deprivation....................................... 17 Educational Disruption..................................... 23 Reduced Access to the Safety Net: Nutrition and Health.......................................... 27 Threats to Public Safety.................................... 31 Conclusion and Recommendations................. 33

Few people realize, however, that the border family separation crisis is only the tip of an immense iceberg.

* This white paper was researched and written by Carlos Guevara, Senior Policy Advisor for the UnidosUS Immigration Policy Project. Special thanks and gratitude to the following members of the UnidosUS Policy team and other partners who made significant contributions to this report: Clarissa Martinez De Castro, Deputy Vice President, Policy and Advocacy; Charles Kamasaki, Senior Cabinet Advisor; Gabriela Montell, former Communications Manager; Sarah D’Adamo, Instructional Staff, Johns Hopkins University and McMaster University PhD Candidate; Christina Texidor, former Immigration Policy Intern; David Thomsen, former Health Policy Analyst; Lanette Garcia, Health Policy Analyst; Rebeca Shackleford, Data and Impact Manager; Stephanie Román, Senior Policy Analyst; Agatha So, Housing Policy Analyst; Samantha Vargas-Poppe, former Director, Policy Analysis Center; Kelly Isaac, Design and Brand Manager; and John Marth, Content Manager.


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Beyond the Border: Family Separation in the Trump Era by UnidosUS - Issuu