You Can Stop the Atrocity at America’s Borders
This is how we create terrorists.
June 18, 2018
Since early this year, our government has been separating young children from their parents at the border, even when the parents attempt to enter the U.S. legally. The Department of Homeland Security has seized at least 2,000 children. The children are held in cages, tents, military bases, and prisons. Their parents don’t know where they are and have no way to contact them. Most Americans are outraged. You can help.
The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh is holding 50 children at the Holy Family Institute in Emsworth, PA. They are cooperating with this crime. That makes Bishop David Zubik a criminal.
Republicans and the Trump administration claim that a law enacted by Democrats under President Barack Obama requires the separation. They are lying. There is no such law. Donald Trump, Jeff Sessions, and their cohorts are deliberately violating U.S. and international law.
LEGALITIES
First, the families who arrive at established border crossings are seeking asylum. That is a legal procedure. They are not illegal immigrants. Federal law requires that all asylum seekers be given hearings in court to determine whether asylum will be granted.
Second, the U.S. Constitution states that the constitution and all treaties made under it are U.S. law:
This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
(Article VI. Section 2)
In 1948, the UN adopted, and the US Senate ratified, (as per Article II, Section 2, Clause 2) the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That's a treaty, folks. We adopted additional treaties in subsequent years.
The Constitution says that the treaties are U.S. law. The US government has been violating Articles 5, 7, 10, 12, and 16 of the UDHR. Therefore, family separation is illegal. This is why the UN can tell the US to stop this practice.
IMPEACHMENT
The only ground for impeachment is commission of a crime. While Trump may have committed collusion and obstruction, we have as yet no evidence of such. That’s Robert Mueller’s job.
But we do know that he has ordered kidnapping and child abuse. He’s bragging about it. Those are crimes. And they are impeachable.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
This is what you can do about the human rights violations on our borders.
Lobby.
Lobbying is not what the media tell you it is. Lobbying is the act of trying to convince elected officials - local, state, and federal - to support or oppose legislation and policies that you care about.
Lobbying is the ONLY thing that can restore our democracy.
It’s free. And anyone can do it.
Congressional Democrats have introduced the HELP Separated Children Act in both the House (HR.5950) and the Senate (S.2937). Donald Trump says he will veto any such bill. Congress can override a veto and might do so with enough public pressure. So even if you think that your representatives and senators will support a bill, contact them anyway. Ask them to support these bills and to support a potential veto. If your representatives cite the phantom “Democratic law” to support the atrocity, tell them to cite the US Code Title, Chapter, and Section where that law resides.
They can’t, because there is no such law.
- Find the names and email contact forms for your representatives at House.gov and Senate.gov.
Or call the US Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121. - For what it’s worth, you can also contact Donald Trump on the White House email form, listed below.
Or call the White House at 202-456-4141. - Contact Bishop David Zubik at 412-456-3010 or https://diopitt.org/contact-us
- You can follow organizations working on the issue. They’ll update you on events as they occur.
The Slate.com article listed below has a good list of organizations.
Legal Complaints
The United Nations has already declared the US policy to be illegal and demanded that it stop.
Individuals can file formal legal complaints with the United Nations against the US Government for violating human rights treaties at the link below. Ask Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein – the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights – to bring formal charges against the United States at the World Court in The Hague.
You can also write to him at
Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein
High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Telephone: +41 22 917 9220 (This is an international call.)
Email: InfoDesk@ohchr.org
For More Information
U.S. Constitution
United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Taking Migrant Children from Parents Is Illegal, U.N. Tells U.S.
Learn how to lobby
Read the HELP Separated Children Act
US House of Representatives
US Senate
Slate.com: How You Can Fight Family Separation at the Border
White House Email Contact Form
United Nations: Protect Human Rights
File a complaint with the United Nations
Contact Pat for email notice of all new Community Matters articles.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
– Martin Luther King –
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
– Margaret Mead –
Patricia A. O'Malley
Social Policy & Programs Consulting ~ Community Matters
P.O. Box 97803 ~ Pittsburgh, PA 15227 ~ 412-310-4886 ~ info@patomalley-consulting.com
Copyright Patricia A. O'Malley ~ All rights reserved
Established 1993
UPDATE
On June 20, Donald Trump issued an Executive Order halting the separation of families
attempting to enter the United States.
It does not change any other border control procedures. It does not include any mention or process for reuniting families.
It does not include any provision for the treatment of the separated children. This issue is not solved.
The order created more chaos. There is still much work to be done.
The suggestions in this article are still valid and needed.
Please help.
Read the text of the order here.
Patricia A. O'Malley
Social Policy & Programs Consulting
Training and Services for agencies working toward social and economic justice