Family Separations At The Border: NC Marches Set For June 30

MOORESVILLE, NC — A nationwide demonstration opposing the Trump administration's policy of separating migrant families crossing the southwestern U.S. border is planned for June 30 and includes marches throughout North Carolina. Part of the administration's "zero tolerance" approach to illegal immigration, children are being separated from their families at the border while the parents are held for prosecution.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington, announced the date of the protest on the MSNBC show "All In With Chris Hayes" Monday night. The main protest will be held right outside the White House on Lafayette Square at 11 a.m., Jayapal said.

Similar protests in cities around the country have already been announced in at least 41 states. (You can find a protest near you by visiting this website.)

Marches are planned throughout North Carolina and include:

• Charlotte: Families Belong Together march and vigil, First Ward Park, June 30 at 6:30 p.m.
• Salisbury, NC: Families Belong Together march to Kelsey Scott Park, June 30 at 6 p.m.
• Asheville, NC: Families Belong Together Rally, June 30 at 11 a.m.
• Hendersonville, NC: Families Belong Together Rally, Henderson Historic Courthouse, June 30 at 11 a.m.
• Raleigh, NC: Families Belong Together March, City Plaza, June 30 at 10 a.m.
• Ocracoke, NC: Ocracoke March for Families will be held June 30 at 9 a.m.
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The Trump administration has come under intense criticism from advocates, lawmakers and citizens for the policy of separating migrant children from their families. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security announced that nearly 2,000 children had been separated at the border over the period beginning April 19 and ending in May.

The children are being housed in detention facilities that have been compared to internment camps. Many lawmakers have marched to these facilities to try and get a look at how these immigrant children are being housed. U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, a Democrat from Texas, led a group of protesters to one such facility in south Texas on Father's Day. Another such facility is in Brownsville, Texas, where DHS officials arranged for reporters to tour the premises.

Jacob Soboroff, a reporter at MSNBC who toured the facility, said the some 1,500 boys living there have under 40 square feet of living space each and said the facility felt like a prison or a jail.

In chilling audio obtained by ProPublica that was recorded at a CBP facility, children can be heard crying for their parents.

The Trump administration has stood by the policy and while President Donald Trump has falsely blamed the Democrats for the separations, Stephen Miller, a senior policy advisor to Trump, told The New York Times it was a "simple decision by the administration" to have a zero-tolerance policy for illegal border crossings. At an intense press briefing on Monday, the secretary of homeland security, Kirstjen Nielsen, defended the policy. (You can see an analysis of Nielsen's defense put together by The Washington Post.)

Meanwhile, Democrats have introduced a bill that would end family separations but so far the bill does not have the support of any Republicans. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, has said he will introduce his own legislation to end family separations and on Tuesday, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said all Republican senators support putting an end to family separations at the border.

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Patch Editor Feroze Dhanoa

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