(Around 250 immigration rights activists from human rights groups gathered in Lafayette Square in front of the White House for a rally June 1, 2017. Just over a year later, outrage over the family separation policy boiled over. (Photo by Stephen Melkisethian via Creative Commons license))
The Trump administration’s zero tolerance border policy has sparked a lot of outrage, and photos, videos and audio clips of families being separated and put into detention facilities have gone viral on social media.
Although today the president signed an executive order effectively ending the practice of separating migrant families at the border, some have been actively protesting the detention and separation of children from their parents along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Here’s what some young people are saying about it on Twitter. (Warning: Some of the posts contain strong language. Please proceed with discretion.)
They’re little kids man wtf, I can’t believe this smh💔 https://t.co/fZ6goiJYDa
— vira (@Elvira_lion) June 20, 2018
https://twitter.com/_anafigueroa_/status/1009310322480463872
https://twitter.com/katiedoesntknow/status/1009509548703600640
https://twitter.com/gbymeyer/status/1009131882313760768
Many who spoke out on Twitter were immigrants or children of immigrants themselves.
These detention centers are horrific. I can’t even imagine what 6 year old me would have felt if they would have separated me from my mom when I came to this country. At that age you don’t even realize that what you’re doing is wrong. This is horrible.
— amalia ❤️🔥 (@amaliatamale_) June 20, 2018
https://twitter.com/ahtziri_ramos/status/1009203421126127619
When my parents immigrated to the US they did so legally and I was not separated from them. Why don’t we advocate for legal immigration instead of urge people to continue crossing the border ILLEGALLY? Enough with the virtue signaling. https://t.co/kR5nzgGSUw
— Lucho Rodriguez (@luis_rodr19uez) June 17, 2018
https://twitter.com/emmcanela/status/1009421199439466496
https://twitter.com/yodaizy/status/1009441607316221952
Some took to Twitter to express their disappointment that news of the death of controversial rapper XXXTentacion filled their feeds instead of commentary about the separation of families at the U.S.-Mexico border
https://twitter.com/pansexualtonies/status/1009508347996000256
https://twitter.com/verywarmhug/status/1008884174013587457
https://twitter.com/dayan45s/status/1008859081384300544
Others recalled the fear and memory of being separated from their own parent, even if it was just at a store.
One time when I was 5 I got separated from my mom in a Walmart. And even though I know she wouldn’t leave the store without me, my 5 year old self was crying and terrified because I thought I might never see her again.
— Alexus (@alexusrochelle) June 20, 2018
https://twitter.com/krisagzi/status/1009350017608343552
And some young people are even comparing the current situation at the U.S.-Mexico border to the Holocaust.
https://twitter.com/jaboukie/status/1009480515915735040
https://twitter.com/PettyNegr0/status/1009277831120084993
https://twitter.com/clarissalule/status/1008584906249666560