‘It’s Inhumane’: Hollywood Protests Separation of Children From Parents at U.S. Border

“What kind of evil dark s–t is happening in this country?” asks actor Tim Robbins

Where Are The Children
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Under the new Trump administration policy, families crossing the U.S. border illegally are being rounded up, resulting in parents being separated indefinitely from their children as young as 18 months old. And Hollywood has something to say about it.

“I don’t understand how anyone could work for @ICEgov. ICE’s policy of separating children from their families under the Trump administration is not only un-American, it’s inhumane. Call 1-866-DHS-2-ICE and ask them #WhereAreTheChildren?” Alyssa Milano wrote.

Earlier this month, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that those crossing the border unlawfully will be prosecuted. “If you’re smuggling a child, then we’re going to prosecute you, and that child will be separated from you, probably, as required by law. If you don’t want your child separated, then don’t bring them across the border illegally,” he said.

Data that was reviewed by The New York Times in April showed that “approximately 700” children had been taken from adults claiming to be their parents since October 2017, more than 100 of which were under the age of four. That number was confirmed to the NYT in a statement from a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services.

In addition, CNN reported Saturday that the U.S. lost track of 1,500 unaccompanied immigrant children that were placed in the homes of sponsors the last three months of 2017. President Trump’s tweet blaming the Democrats for the policy that results in the separation of parents and children at the border only inflamed the issue.

TheWrap’s request for comment from the Department of Health and Human Services wasn’t immediately returned.

“ICE destroying records as it is revealed that ICE ‘lost track’ of 1500 immigrant children that were separated from their mothers. What kind of evil dark s–t is happening in this country? #wherearethechildren,” actor Tim Robbins tweeted Saturday.

“My Saturday suggestion is reading #WhereAreTheChildren news stories. It’s difficult, but necessary. Just a reminder that we never learn from history. Also, the empathy we lack today will be the empathy we never receive when it’s our turn,” wrote Jemele Hill.

Here are a handful of others celebrities who this issue touched deeply.

https://twitter.com/kumailn/status/1000205247459934209

https://twitter.com/_juliannemoore/status/1000355912526319616

https://twitter.com/jonfavs/status/1000377347252551680

Rosemary Rossi

Rosemary joined TheWrap in 2016 after more than two decades covering entertainment for American Media and Bauer Publishing as West Coast Editor and as the Hollywood Correspondent for Australia’s Horowitz Graham Publishing. In addition, she reviewed films and television, sized up trends and penned a weekly tongue-in-cheek column called “Hollywood’s Worst Ideas This Week” for…

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