Trump administration is deporting parents without their children in violation of its own policies, report finds

"Immigration officials didn't ask me anything, one 22-year-old mother told researchers in Honduras, where she was sent without her two-year-old child. They never said: You have a daughter, you can bring her,' because I would have brought [my daughter], she is very attached to me."

"What we've found is fairly significant evidence that [Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers] are not asking about people's children at the time of arrest. They are not ensuring that those children have safe care, and they are not allowing parents an opportunity to decide what happens to their children if they are deported, said Zain Lakhani, director of migrant rights and justice at WRC."

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are deporting parents without inquiring about their children or ensuring safe alternative care arrangements. Many parents were deported rapidly after detention, forced to leave children with vulnerable friends or family members also at risk of deportation. Some mothers were separated from infants and toddlers without the opportunity to decide whether to bring their children. Pregnant and postpartum women arriving at Honduran reception centers displayed severe emotional distress, anxiety, and panic symptoms. The report documents systematic failures to follow established protocols protecting children's welfare during parental deportations.

Read at www.theguardian.com