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Central American migrants await transport to U.S. Border Patrol facility after crossing Rio Grande from Mexico into Texas. (Photo: Getty)
Senator's Tweetstorm Shows Stark Human Toll of Trump Immigration Crackdown
'The gangs will target this mother and her child the moment they land in Honduras, yet Trump admin insists on this cruel policy'
May 03, 2017
Offering a stark example of the dreadful personal toll President Donald Trump's immigration policies are taking on vulnerable families, centrist Democrat Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania on Wednesday took to Twitter to live-tweet the deportation of a mother and her young son to Honduras.
The dramatic series of tweets specifically highlighted how the Trump administration's immigration crackdown impacts Central American refugees, many of whom are fleeing gang violence in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
"Twitter: it's urgent," Casey wrote just after 11:00am on Wednesday. "I just found out that a young child & her mother who came to U.S. seeking refuge will be sent back to Honduras today."
He continued:
\u201cThis mother & child are being held at a facility in Berks county & are being sent into danger despite the child being eligible for relief.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cHere's their story: the 5yr old's mother witnessed the murder of her cousin in Honduras and was being pursued by gangs.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827621
\u201cTargeted for death, this mother fled with her 5yr old child. The child is potentially eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cDespite that, the Trump admin is planning to put them on a plane TODAY. A plane ride that can very likely lead to their death.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827692
\u201cThe gangs will target this mother and her child the moment they land in Honduras, yet Trump admin insists on this cruel policy.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cI just had a picture of this 5yr old come across my desk. He's adorable and wrote that he had "nowhere to go."\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cI've just placed a call to @DHSgov Sec. telling him to stop this. I need you to tweet @DHSgov & tell them to protect this mother and child.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201c.@realDonaldTrump If you're on twitter- Call @DHSgov Sec. Kelly and tell him this makes no sense.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827914
\u201cThis 5yr old and his mother aren't 'bad hombres.' They aren't in a gang, they're running from death- vulnerable and scared.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827968
\u201cThey came to the U.S. because they believed in what's on the Statue of Liberty- they believed in the promise of this nation.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cWe shouldn't turn our back on a vulnerable 5yr old boy and his mother who may very well die if they get on that plane.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201c.@DHSgov and @realDonaldTrump should work to actually secure our border and fix our immigration system and stop this nonsense.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cInstead of sending a 5yr old and mother back to possible death, @realDonaldTrump should focus on dangerous criminals.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201c.@DHSgov know the stakes for this child and his mother. Do the right thing.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
After outlining some of his immigration votes, Casey added:
\u201cJust got off the phone with @Reince45, he promised that they are looking into it. I'll hold him accountable to do the right thing.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cThe latest: Admin ordered the family on the plane. There are two flights they could be on: one direct to Honduras another with a layover.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cIf this 5yr old and his mother are on the flight with a layover, then the Admin can still save them from this potential death sentence.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cIf 5yr old & mother are on the direct flight it may be too late. Working the phones to try to find out which flight they're on.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cAdmin refuses to tell me whether they were placed on a direct flight or one with a layover. Infuriating. @flightaware is interesting, fwiw\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493835182
\u201cWorst part: According to lawyers @DHSgov knew darn well that 5yr old & mother had secured paperwork to protect them & they rushed removal.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493835229
\u201cYup, that's right @DHSgov likely knew paperwork was in hand & rushed removal just because they could.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cWhy? Because that's the tone @realDonaldTrump has set- one in which pushing out a 5yr old and his mother is somehow a good idea.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cJust confirmed with @DHSgov: only the White House can order this reversed now. It's on @Reince45 & @realDonaldTrump to help this family.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493838013
\u201cStill no word from @Reince45 or Admin on the family. Going on @MSNBC at 3:35 pm to make the case, I hear @realDonaldTrump likes cable.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
Immigration attorney Bridget Cambria told a local NBC affiliate on Wednesday that the mother and son had been held at the controversial Berks County Residential Center outside Reading, Pennsylvania since December 18.
"We applied for the child this week who had qualified for a special immigrant juvenile status (SIJS) and brought it to [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and the courts and we were in court today," Cambria said. "We literally were arguing to include this child while immigration was watching the plane take off."
TeleSUR reports that "a caravan of 200 refugees, fleeing violence and gangs in Central America, has embarked on a journey to the United States--by way of Mexico--in hopes of being granted asylum."
"The journey is meant to raise awareness about the perils and hardships faced by migrants trying to escape violence in Central America," teleSUR reports. The group expects to reach the U.S. border on May 7.
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Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
Offering a stark example of the dreadful personal toll President Donald Trump's immigration policies are taking on vulnerable families, centrist Democrat Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania on Wednesday took to Twitter to live-tweet the deportation of a mother and her young son to Honduras.
The dramatic series of tweets specifically highlighted how the Trump administration's immigration crackdown impacts Central American refugees, many of whom are fleeing gang violence in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
"Twitter: it's urgent," Casey wrote just after 11:00am on Wednesday. "I just found out that a young child & her mother who came to U.S. seeking refuge will be sent back to Honduras today."
He continued:
\u201cThis mother & child are being held at a facility in Berks county & are being sent into danger despite the child being eligible for relief.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cHere's their story: the 5yr old's mother witnessed the murder of her cousin in Honduras and was being pursued by gangs.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827621
\u201cTargeted for death, this mother fled with her 5yr old child. The child is potentially eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cDespite that, the Trump admin is planning to put them on a plane TODAY. A plane ride that can very likely lead to their death.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827692
\u201cThe gangs will target this mother and her child the moment they land in Honduras, yet Trump admin insists on this cruel policy.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cI just had a picture of this 5yr old come across my desk. He's adorable and wrote that he had "nowhere to go."\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cI've just placed a call to @DHSgov Sec. telling him to stop this. I need you to tweet @DHSgov & tell them to protect this mother and child.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201c.@realDonaldTrump If you're on twitter- Call @DHSgov Sec. Kelly and tell him this makes no sense.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827914
\u201cThis 5yr old and his mother aren't 'bad hombres.' They aren't in a gang, they're running from death- vulnerable and scared.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827968
\u201cThey came to the U.S. because they believed in what's on the Statue of Liberty- they believed in the promise of this nation.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cWe shouldn't turn our back on a vulnerable 5yr old boy and his mother who may very well die if they get on that plane.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201c.@DHSgov and @realDonaldTrump should work to actually secure our border and fix our immigration system and stop this nonsense.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cInstead of sending a 5yr old and mother back to possible death, @realDonaldTrump should focus on dangerous criminals.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201c.@DHSgov know the stakes for this child and his mother. Do the right thing.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
After outlining some of his immigration votes, Casey added:
\u201cJust got off the phone with @Reince45, he promised that they are looking into it. I'll hold him accountable to do the right thing.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cThe latest: Admin ordered the family on the plane. There are two flights they could be on: one direct to Honduras another with a layover.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cIf this 5yr old and his mother are on the flight with a layover, then the Admin can still save them from this potential death sentence.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cIf 5yr old & mother are on the direct flight it may be too late. Working the phones to try to find out which flight they're on.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cAdmin refuses to tell me whether they were placed on a direct flight or one with a layover. Infuriating. @flightaware is interesting, fwiw\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493835182
\u201cWorst part: According to lawyers @DHSgov knew darn well that 5yr old & mother had secured paperwork to protect them & they rushed removal.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493835229
\u201cYup, that's right @DHSgov likely knew paperwork was in hand & rushed removal just because they could.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cWhy? Because that's the tone @realDonaldTrump has set- one in which pushing out a 5yr old and his mother is somehow a good idea.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cJust confirmed with @DHSgov: only the White House can order this reversed now. It's on @Reince45 & @realDonaldTrump to help this family.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493838013
\u201cStill no word from @Reince45 or Admin on the family. Going on @MSNBC at 3:35 pm to make the case, I hear @realDonaldTrump likes cable.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
Immigration attorney Bridget Cambria told a local NBC affiliate on Wednesday that the mother and son had been held at the controversial Berks County Residential Center outside Reading, Pennsylvania since December 18.
"We applied for the child this week who had qualified for a special immigrant juvenile status (SIJS) and brought it to [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and the courts and we were in court today," Cambria said. "We literally were arguing to include this child while immigration was watching the plane take off."
TeleSUR reports that "a caravan of 200 refugees, fleeing violence and gangs in Central America, has embarked on a journey to the United States--by way of Mexico--in hopes of being granted asylum."
"The journey is meant to raise awareness about the perils and hardships faced by migrants trying to escape violence in Central America," teleSUR reports. The group expects to reach the U.S. border on May 7.
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
Offering a stark example of the dreadful personal toll President Donald Trump's immigration policies are taking on vulnerable families, centrist Democrat Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania on Wednesday took to Twitter to live-tweet the deportation of a mother and her young son to Honduras.
The dramatic series of tweets specifically highlighted how the Trump administration's immigration crackdown impacts Central American refugees, many of whom are fleeing gang violence in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
"Twitter: it's urgent," Casey wrote just after 11:00am on Wednesday. "I just found out that a young child & her mother who came to U.S. seeking refuge will be sent back to Honduras today."
He continued:
\u201cThis mother & child are being held at a facility in Berks county & are being sent into danger despite the child being eligible for relief.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cHere's their story: the 5yr old's mother witnessed the murder of her cousin in Honduras and was being pursued by gangs.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827621
\u201cTargeted for death, this mother fled with her 5yr old child. The child is potentially eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cDespite that, the Trump admin is planning to put them on a plane TODAY. A plane ride that can very likely lead to their death.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827692
\u201cThe gangs will target this mother and her child the moment they land in Honduras, yet Trump admin insists on this cruel policy.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cI just had a picture of this 5yr old come across my desk. He's adorable and wrote that he had "nowhere to go."\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cI've just placed a call to @DHSgov Sec. telling him to stop this. I need you to tweet @DHSgov & tell them to protect this mother and child.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201c.@realDonaldTrump If you're on twitter- Call @DHSgov Sec. Kelly and tell him this makes no sense.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827914
\u201cThis 5yr old and his mother aren't 'bad hombres.' They aren't in a gang, they're running from death- vulnerable and scared.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827968
\u201cThey came to the U.S. because they believed in what's on the Statue of Liberty- they believed in the promise of this nation.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cWe shouldn't turn our back on a vulnerable 5yr old boy and his mother who may very well die if they get on that plane.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201c.@DHSgov and @realDonaldTrump should work to actually secure our border and fix our immigration system and stop this nonsense.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cInstead of sending a 5yr old and mother back to possible death, @realDonaldTrump should focus on dangerous criminals.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201c.@DHSgov know the stakes for this child and his mother. Do the right thing.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
After outlining some of his immigration votes, Casey added:
\u201cJust got off the phone with @Reince45, he promised that they are looking into it. I'll hold him accountable to do the right thing.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cThe latest: Admin ordered the family on the plane. There are two flights they could be on: one direct to Honduras another with a layover.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cIf this 5yr old and his mother are on the flight with a layover, then the Admin can still save them from this potential death sentence.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cIf 5yr old & mother are on the direct flight it may be too late. Working the phones to try to find out which flight they're on.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cAdmin refuses to tell me whether they were placed on a direct flight or one with a layover. Infuriating. @flightaware is interesting, fwiw\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493835182
\u201cWorst part: According to lawyers @DHSgov knew darn well that 5yr old & mother had secured paperwork to protect them & they rushed removal.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493835229
\u201cYup, that's right @DHSgov likely knew paperwork was in hand & rushed removal just because they could.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cWhy? Because that's the tone @realDonaldTrump has set- one in which pushing out a 5yr old and his mother is somehow a good idea.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
\u201cJust confirmed with @DHSgov: only the White House can order this reversed now. It's on @Reince45 & @realDonaldTrump to help this family.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493838013
\u201cStill no word from @Reince45 or Admin on the family. Going on @MSNBC at 3:35 pm to make the case, I hear @realDonaldTrump likes cable.\u201d— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545
Immigration attorney Bridget Cambria told a local NBC affiliate on Wednesday that the mother and son had been held at the controversial Berks County Residential Center outside Reading, Pennsylvania since December 18.
"We applied for the child this week who had qualified for a special immigrant juvenile status (SIJS) and brought it to [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and the courts and we were in court today," Cambria said. "We literally were arguing to include this child while immigration was watching the plane take off."
TeleSUR reports that "a caravan of 200 refugees, fleeing violence and gangs in Central America, has embarked on a journey to the United States--by way of Mexico--in hopes of being granted asylum."
"The journey is meant to raise awareness about the perils and hardships faced by migrants trying to escape violence in Central America," teleSUR reports. The group expects to reach the U.S. border on May 7.
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