Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 26 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing
OpEdNews Op Eds    H2'ed 7/17/18

Toddlers On Trial

By       (Page 1 of 1 pages)   2 comments
Message Jim Hightower
Become a Fan
  (45 fans)

From Other Words

Kids as young as 1 year old are being forced to stand trial alone in Trump's immigration courts, often without even attorneys.

Small Handcuffs for small children
Small Handcuffs for small children
(Image by slate.com)
  Details   DMCA

We Americans believe everyone has a right to have their day in court. Right?

But what if the court is turned into a loony bin, making a mockery of justice? Welcome to the federal immigration courts that are struggling to deal with the insanity of Trump's imperious "zero tolerance" decree that all Latino asylum seekers will be jailed and prosecuted as criminals.

How insane is it? Toddlers, separated from their parents by Trump's border guards, are being put on trial by themselves. "We were representing a 3-year-old in court," said Lindsay Toczylowski, a dismayed defender of a migrant kiddo, "and the child -- in the middle of the hearing -- started climbing up on the table. It really highlighted the absurdity of what we're doing with kids."

Not just doing "with" them, but to them. Fleeing unimaginable trauma in their home country, then suffering the pain of being torn away from their parents inside our border, the expectation that these little ones can mount a legal defense has rightly been labeled "unconscionable" and "grossly inappropriate" by experts. But I would add, inexpertly, that it's insane and evil.

Here's a bit of Trumpian evil for you: Johan, a one-year-old Honduran boy taken from his amnesty-seeking father by border agents, was hauled into federal immigration court in July. A one-year-old! As an AP reporter wrote, the baby briefly played with a ball, drank from a bottle, then "cried hysterically." The law doesn't even require that children have a lawyer to represent them!

The judge said he was too embarrassed to try explaining this judicial proceeding to anyone: "I don't know who you would explain it to, unless you think that a 1-year-old could learn immigration law," the judge said in exasperation.

Maybe he could try explaining it to the U.S. president who's foisted this lunacy on us. It's a case of the inmates having taken charge of the insane asylum.

Must Read 1   Well Said 1   Valuable 1  
Rate It | View Ratings

Jim Hightower Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Jim Hightower is an American populist, spreading his message of democratic hope via national radio commentaries, columns, books, his award-winning monthly newsletter (The Hightower Lowdown) and barnstorming tours all across America.

Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

The Trans-Pacific Partnership is not about free trade. It's a corporate coup d'etat -- against us!

Trump Hates the American Public -- Here's How He Reveals His Disdain

The Post Office is not broke -- and it hasn't taken any of our tax money since 1971

The plutocrats who bankrolled the GOP primaries -- and what they want in return

Citizens United Against Citizens United: A Grassroots Campaign to Restore Democracy

The Audacity of Greed

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend