The Democratic theme of “do as we say, not as we do” reaches far up the chain of command in the current administration, all the way to President Joe Biden himself. Border patrol agents are continuing to briefly separate children from their families at the border, despite Biden’s past scathing criticism of the policy.
And, according to Dr. Paul Wise, a pediatrician on the frontline of the border crisis, it’s even worse under Biden. Separated children are far younger under Biden’s policies, in some cases under the age of eight.
It’s unclear how many children have been separated at Biden’s border, a policy the President called “abhorrent” when someone else was doing it.
It’s something that should have been noted by border czar Kamala Harris, had she bothered to visit the border’s most affected areas and gain a deeper understanding of the crisis unfolding under her boss’ watch.
Border patrol agents themselves agree with this assessment, explaining that the minors were temporarily moved to “pods” with other minors if the adult pods were too crowded.
But Wise claims that, while separated, the children were not given the opportunity to communicate with their parents. In a recent court filing, he stated, “Interviews with parents and children found that there were minimal or no opportunities for phone contact or direct interaction between parent and child.”
Wise is concerned that separating families and providing no avenue of interaction between them will bring significant and permanent harm to children, particularly those as young as Biden’s administration slates to be removed from their parents.
The removal of kids from families is hardly a new concept at the border. Former President Barack Obama famously built cages to house them, although Democrats enjoy blaming the facilities on Trump. But Democrats’ argument shattered when it was found that the pictures of caged children circulating to demonize Trump’s “inhumane” policies were photos taken in 2014 under Obama.
No one can ever forget Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) Oscar-winning performance at a chain-link fence surrounding an empty parking lot as she sobbed over all the non-existent “caged children” within the perimeter.
Lawyers representing the Department of Justice defended Trump’s policy in legal proceedings as recently as June 2023, asserting that the separation of migrant families was a result of “perceived humanitarian considerations.”
But in the words of President Joe Biden during his 2018 critique of former president Donald Trump, “A policy that separates young children from their parents isn’t a ‘deterrent.’ It’s unconscionable. A policy that traumatizes children isn’t a bargaining chip. It’s abhorrent. And a President and an administration that continues this policy isn’t protecting our border and our people.”
Well said, Joe. We couldn’t agree more.
