Google CEO Sundar Pichai has thrown his weight behind the victims of US President Donald Trump’s controversial and inhuman policy to separate families, deemed illegal immigrants, from their children. The issue has dominated the political narrative in the US with an overwhelming population condemning Trump for his inhumane action.
Using the hashtag #keepfamiliestogether, the Google CEO wrote on Twitter, “The stories and images of families being separated at the border are gut-wrenching. Urging our government to work together to find a better, more humane way that is reflective of our values as a nation.”
The stories and images of families being separated at the border are gut-wrenching. Urging our government to work together to find a better, more humane way that is reflective of our values as a nation. #keepfamiliestogether
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) June 19, 2018
Pichai’s reaction came after a haunting photo of a child bitterly crying even as her mother is being questioned by border patrol police went viral. In the photo, a small baby in red a top and blue trousers is seen weeping bitterly while looking at a person, who’s believed to be questioning her mother on suspicion of having entered the US illegally.
Donald Trump is an animal. https://t.co/kUQi3qbJJF #ICEinTheNews
An early look at Saturday’s front… pic.twitter.com/aU0OqAU9uA
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) June 15, 2018
The New York Daily News carried the baby’s photo on its cover page with a headline ‘Callous. Soulless, Craven. Trump.’ It posted the photo on Twitter with the caption, “Donald Trump is an animal.”
Donald Trump is an animal. https://t.co/kUQi3qbJJF #ICEinTheNews
An early look at Saturday’s front… pic.twitter.com/aU0OqAU9uA
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) June 15, 2018
The photo is being compared with that of the dead Syrian refugee child, Aylan Kurdi, whose body was found washed up on a Turkish beach in September 2015. The grim photo of baby Aylan had shaken the collective conscience of the world powers prompting many European heads of states to open their borders for the Syrian refugees.
The current photo of a weeping baby seems to be having the same impact with Trump being condemned by all and sundry. Popular US model Christine Teigen wrote, “this little girl is the same age as my daughter. luna is the happiest thing. the funniest girl. and she is absolutely terrified to look around and realize she is too far away from us, even for seconds. the fear she would feel here fills me with rage and sadness.”
this little girl is the same age as my daughter. luna is the happiest thing. the funniest girl. and she is absolutely terrified to look around and realize she is too far away from us, even for seconds. the fear she would feel here fills me with rage and sadness. pic.twitter.com/riSV8ADRFe
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) June 16, 2018
An unfazed Trump has instead blamed his opposition for his inhumane actions. His tweet said, “The Democrats are forcing the breakup of families at the Border with their horrible and cruel legislative agenda. Any Immigration Bill MUST HAVE full funding for the Wall, end Catch & Release, Visa Lottery and Chain, and go to Merit Based Immigration. Go for it! WIN!”
The Democrats are forcing the breakup of families at the Border with their horrible and cruel legislative agenda. Any Immigration Bill MUST HAVE full funding for the Wall, end Catch & Release, Visa Lottery and Chain, and go to Merit Based Immigration. Go for it! WIN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2018
Later speaking at a business convention, Trump defended his action stating that children had to be taken away if their parents were jailed for illegally crossing the US border. He had earlier sparked outrage for tweeting that undocumented immigrants would “infest” the US, reported BBC. Mexico’s foreign minister has called the US policy “cruel and inhuman.”
US immigration officials said that as many as 2,342 children had been separated from 2,206 parents from 5 May to 9 June amid a “zero-tolerance” crackdown on illegal immigration brought in by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Last month, the US administration publicly announced its decision to charge every adult caught crossing the border illegally with federal crimes, as opposed to referring those with children mainly to immigration courts.
A report by CNN said that because the government was charging the parents in the criminal justice system, children were separated from them with no clear procedure for their reunification aside from hotlines the parents can call to try to track their children down.