The absurdity of Donald Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy played out in an Arizona courtroom on Friday. The scene was chronicled by the AP’s Astrid Galvan in Phoenix:
- “The 1-year-old boy in a green button-up shirt drank milk from a bottle, played with a small purple ball that lit up when it hit the ground and occasionally asked for “agua.”
- Then it was the child’s turn for his court appearance before a Phoenix immigration judge, who could hardly contain his unease with the situation during the portion of the hearing where he asks immigrant defendants whether they understand the proceedings.
- “I’m embarrassed to ask it, because I don’t know who you would explain it to, unless you think that a 1-year-old could learn immigration law,” Judge John W. Richardson told the lawyer representing the 1-year-old boy.”
The hearing on Friday took place at the same time the Trump administration was asking for an extension to a federal court order to reunite the 101 children under 5 years of age currently in federal custody.
Critics seize on the nation's immigration court system that requires children _ some still in diapers _ to appear before judges and go through deportation proceedings while separated from their parents. https://t.co/sizBgfxKCo
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 7, 2018
How spread out are the children? ProPublica has produced a map showing facilities housing children near where you live.
Under President Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy thousands of children remain separated from their parents.
This map shows the facilities nearest you. Texas has the most with 30. Arizona and New York follow with 13 each. https://t.co/aOCSnoj2OA
— ProPublica (@ProPublica) July 7, 2018