CNN political commentator Symone D. Sanders likened the Trump administration’s newly enacted immigration policy to one that invoked memories of America’s dark past.
Sanders’ remarks were in response to comments made by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly earlier this week when he dismissed the idea that Trump’s policy separating kids from their migrant parents who cross the U.S. border illegally as “cruel.” The controversial policy has gotten major pushback from immigration and human rights activists, especially as nearly 1,500 migrant children remain unaccounted for.
“The children will be taken care of- put into foster care or whatever,” Kelly told NPR earlier this month. “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 for very long.”
Sanders begged to differ, however, arguing that ripping children from their parents was no way to deter undocumented immigration. She proceeds to chide the Trump administration for its poor training and described its policy as “cruel and unusual.”
“ … This is a policy that harkens back to what America did during the times of slavery,” Sanders argued. “When they took children and they separated families from their mothers and fathers when folks were being sold into slavery. So if we want to be better, we have to start walking the walk.”
The commentator then called on Trump to end the policy himself.
“They did it. They instituted the policy, so why do we have to wait on Congress to do something when the president himself can act?” she argued.
Hear more of her commentary above.
