Immigration advocates are working to change the Trump administration's “zero tolerance” immigration policy, claiming asylum seekers are forced to separate from their children when they arrive in the United States.
According to one report, from October 2017 to April 2018 there were approximately 700 cases where children were separated from their parents. After the zero tolerance policy was put in place, 658 children were separated from May 6 to May 19, 2018, alone.
Executive Director of Migrant Center for Human Rights Sara Ramey said that, as an immigration attorney, this is an issue that she sees often.
"It goes against our American values and is a traumatic experience for these families," Ramey said. "Families seeking asylum have the right to do that under domestic and international law. Prosecuting parents for illegal entry or smuggling we believe is actually unlawful, because they have the right to seek asylum here in the United States, and seeking asylum is not illegal in any way, shape, or form."
One of her former clients was separated from her teenage daughter when she and her family came to the United States seeking asylum nearly one year ago.
"A judge recognized that she has a serious fear and problems in Guatemala and granted her asylum," Ramey explained. "Her daughter's case was processed separately because she was at a different detention center and her daughter's case is currently ongoing."
KENS 5 hid the woman's face to protect her identity but she said that she wants to share her story to help bring awareness to the issue and help other families who are going through what she went through.