Separating families only way to end illegal migration, says Trump
Washington, June 20 : US President Donald Trump has defended his policy of splitting up families entering the US illegally, defying a growing chorus of condemnation.
Speaking at a business convention, Trump said children have to be taken away if their parents are jailed for illegally crossing the US border.
The President had earlier sparked outrage for tweeting that undocumented immigrants would "infest" the US.
Mexico's Foreign Minister has called the US policy "cruel and inhuman".
"I don't want children taken away from parents," Trump said on Tuesday during a speech at a National Federation of Independent Businesses event in Washington DC, reported BBC.
But he added: "When you prosecute the parents for coming in illegally - which should happen - you have to take the children away."
He also claimed that separating families was "the only solution" to end illegal immigration, even as he noted that he does not support the practice.
Trump said he wanted to "end the border crisis" by giving border officials the resources to "detain and remove illegal immigrant families altogether".
US immigration officials say 2,342 children have been separated from 2,206 parents from May 5 to June 9.
Trump has blamed "Democrat-supported loopholes" in federal law for the family separations, but critics of the policy say the recent spike is due to the enforcement of US Attorney General Jeff Sessions' "zero tolerance" approach.
Sessions has rejected claims that US holding centres for child migrants separated from parents are like Nazi concentration camps.
America's top law official told Fox News the "zero tolerance" policy was about enforcing border security.
Trump is meeting Republican lawmakers later to discuss a bill that proposes to curb the policy.
Sessions was asked on Fox News about a tweet by former CIA Director Michael Hayden likening what happened at Auschwitz concentration camp, where millions of Jews and other minorities were killed, to the separation of undocumented immigrant families at the US border.
"Well, it's a real exaggeration, of course," the Department of Justice chief said in Monday night's interview. "In Nazi Germany, they were keeping the Jews from leaving the country."
Sessions said: "Fundamentally, we are enforcing the law. Hopefully people will get the message and not break across the border unlawfully."
In a remark that provoked criticism, Fox News host Laura Ingraham said the detention centres were "essentially summer camps" for migrant children.
It is not the first historical analogy inspired by the policy - former US First Lady Laura Bush has compared it to the internment of Japanese-Americans during the Second World War.
Trump tweeted on Tuesday that immigrants threatened "to pour into and infest our Country", triggering further outrage.
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Supriya Sule vows to rebuild NCP (SP) with renewed commitment
Mumbai, Nov 24: Senior NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule said on Sunday that her party, which won 10 seats in the Maharashtra assembly elections, respects people’s mandate and pledged to work towards a capable, inclusive and progressive state.
In a statement on X, the Baramati MP promised to rebuild their party and said it would move forward with determination despite its dismal show. Her party and its Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) collectively bagged only 46 of the state’s 288 assembly seats.
“We respect and humbly accept the verdict of the people in the assembly elections. This result is a moment for deep reflection and renewal. We will introspect, learn, and rebuild with honesty, hard work, and an unshakable commitment to the values we stand for,” Sule wrote.
She stressed that her party was committed to creating a capable, inclusive, and progressive Maharashtra.
“Our vision of a capable, inclusive, and progressive Maharashtra remains unchanged. We reaffirm our pledge to fight for the rights, dignity, and self-respect of farmers, workers, women, youth, and every marginalised section of society,” Sule stated.
Sule said that her party will continue to carry forward the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, and social reformers like Jyotiba Phule. “We are determined to carry forward the timeless ideals of Shiv-Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar with renewed energy and purpose,” she wrote on the social media platform.
Sule congratulated those who had won in the elections. “We hope you will serve Maharashtra with dedication and prioritise the welfare of every citizen,” she said.
The MP, the daughter of NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, expressed gratitude to the voters, party workers, their MVA allies and the authorities for facilitating the elections.
“A heartfelt thank you to all voters, the diligent workers and leaders of NCP (SP), our Maha Vikas Aghadi allies, the Election Commission, police, administration, media, and everyone who contributed to making this election a vibrant celebration of democracy," Sule added.
Sule said the party would remain focused on its goals and continue its efforts to serve the people of Maharashtra. “We remain steadfast. Our fight continues—with humility, with courage, and with the hope of building a Maharashtra that fulfils the dreams of its people,” she added.
Sharad Pawar suffered the worst-ever defeat in his political career in Maharashtra polls with the NCP faction led by him winning only 10 seats in the 288-member House. His MVA partners Congress and Sena (UBT) got 16 and 20 seats, respectively.
The ruling Mahayuti scored a massive victory with the BJP winning 132 seats, Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde emerging victorious in 57, and NCP headed by Ajit Pawar grabbing 41 seats.
