UN wants ‘immediate halt’ to separation of migrant families in US

The United Nations human rights office on Tuesday urged the Trump administration to put an end to its policy of separating families that cross the border illegally. 

The Associated Press reported that the human rights office ripped the policy and called for the U.S. to “immediately halt” the practice, which has drawn fierce criticism from Democrats and immigration advocates. 

“Children should never be detained for reasons related to their own parents’ migration status. Detention is never in the best interests of the child and always constitutes a child rights violation,” spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said. 

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The Trump administration recently implemented a “zero tolerance” policy for those who cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security have said they will separate children from their parents in some cases.

President Trump has on multiple occasions blamed Democrats for the policy, despite it coming from his administration.

Chief of Staff John Kelly defended the policy last month.

“The children will be taken care of — put into foster care or whatever,” Kelly said. “But the big point is they elected to come illegally into the United States and this is a technique that no one hopes will be used extensively or for very long.”

Trump has repeatedly called for stricter immigration laws, and has railed against migrants making their way up through Mexico toward the U.S. border.