© Karl Sonnenberg / Shutterstock
The trauma will impact their whole lives
‘From a Mexican point of view, the situation regarding the border and immigration to the US is degrading. In my view, the “zero-tolerance” policy has resulted in a humanitarian crisis. More than 2000 children were separated from their parents for months and “stored” at inappropriate facilities where they were treated as prisoners. This is unacceptable: they are children and not criminals. They were experiencing stress and trauma during that time which will impact their whole lives.
Alan Encinas Zazueta from Mexico is an MSc student of Environmental Sciences. He talks about the situation in his home country.
The policy demonstrates once more that the current US regime does not hesitate to cross the limits of the historical values of the United Nations in order to defend its own interests. The United States have a long history of human rights promotion and leadership. However, the Trump government has pulled back from international agreements as it does not believe in multilateralism and the creation of common ground. This currently limits the scope for international organizations to act. Recently, Melania Trump and the former First Lady Laura Bush announced their concerns about the family separation. I think this is good as it creates public awareness and strengthens the discourse about the need for the government to be more careful about human rights.
I follow events in my home country closely by reading national and international newspapers. My family, friends and I talk about what has to be done. I think this is essential since we are the young generation, who will shape the future. It is important to know what is happening around us.’