Women’s Refugee Commission Responds to Proposal for Increased Separation of Families at the Border

Washington, DC — This month, Michelle Brané, director of the Migrant Rights and Justice Program with the Women’s Refugee Commission, made her voice heard on behalf of immigrants and refugees in articles zeroing in on Trump’s newest immigration crackdown and the devastating toll they have already started to take on vulnerable men, women, and children.

In a New York Times piece published over the weekend, Brané weighed in on Trump’s move to “get tough on many of the 60,000 Central American children who arrive at our border each year.”

“Last week Mr. Trump’s press secretary said the president’s intention was to prioritize the deportation of immigrants who “represent a threat to public safety.” Supporters say he’s upholding the law. But these children are not threats, and there are many ways to preserve the integrity of our immigration laws while treating them humanely.

D.H.S. hasn’t fully explained how it will deal with children reclassified as “accompanied” if a parent steps forward to claim them. ‘There is a range of how bad this might be,’ says Michelle Brané, director of the Migrant Rights and Justice Program at the Women’s Refugee Commission.”

In a Glamour piece published last Friday entitled, “Why President Trump's Immigration Plan Could Tear Families Apart,” Brané articulates the adverse effects these directives could have on children and families.

“‘It’s not going to be long before parents start refusing to come forward if it means risking the safety of their children,’ said Michelle Brané, director of the Migrant Rights and Justice Program with the Women’s Refugee Commission.

Brané warns that the new directives may only drive parents underground, forcing children to languish in detention or government custody throughout the duration of their legal proceedings. It’s likely the best shot they will have toward being granted their due process rights, but at the expense of American taxpayers who foot the bill on detention space. ‘It’s not good for the kids, and it’s not good for the United States,’ Brané said.”

Brané’s response to Trump’s immigration orders is also highlighted in a USA Today piece published earlier this month:

“Pro-immigrant groups and Democratic members of Congress, already on alert because of Trump's stalled ban on immigration for people from seven predominantly Muslim countries, was quick in reacting.

‘The mere consideration of this type of militarized immigration enforcement is reprehensible, and would greatly increase the extreme adversity faced by those who have sought refuge in the United States,’ said Michelle Brané, director of the migrants rights and justice program at the Women's Refugee Commission.”

To read the New York Times piece in its entirety, click here. For the Glamour piece in its entirety, click here. For the USA Today piece in its entirety, click here.

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For more information contact: Michelle Brané, MichelleB@wrcommission.orgTessa Wiseman, tessa@newpartners.com

Also see WRC’s 10 Things to Know About How Trump’s Executive Order Will Harm Women and Children Seeking Protection here.