WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following news that the Trump administration extended its order that bars immigrants seeking asylum into the country to cover unaccompanied children from Central America in the name of safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lizzy Price, a spokesperson for Accountable.US made the following statement:

“Not only has Trump failed to meet the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he’s now using the pandemic as an excuse to enact his most restrictive immigration policies yet, this time targeting unaccompanied immigrant children. The Trump administration could return these minors to their family and sponsors in the U.S., but instead they’d rather rub salt in the wound by sending them back to their home countries, resulting in further spread and death from the virus. The truth is that the pandemic is just an excuse for the Trump administration to deny immigrants entry into the country — this new policy means that they’ll have even more blood on their hands.”

Buzzfeed News: The Trump Administration Is Now Deporting Unaccompanied Immigrant Kids Due To The Coronavirus

  • “In a major departure from previous practice mandated by federal law, the Trump administration has begun quickly deporting immigrant children apprehended alone at the southern border.”

  • “Administration officials say they are following public health orders designed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the US, but opponents say they are using the health orders to skirt federal laws that govern the processing of unaccompanied minors.”

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