“Cold and heartless:” Immigration group on governor’s support of zero tolerance policy

An immigration group in Las Cruces calls Governor Susana Martinez’ support for the federal “zero tolerance” policy “cold and heartless.”

“This zero tolerance policy is, in fact, a family separation policy,” said Johana Bencomo, who represents Comunidades en Acción y de Fe (CAFe). “I believe that this response is completely cold and heartless.”

In early April, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a new “zero-tolerance” policy which has enforced the separation of children and parents after they’re apprehended at the border.

On Monday, Governor Martinez told reporters that those who violate U.S. laws should not be given preferential treatment if they have children at their side.

“We don’t let people who break the law continue to be out and running around breaking the law simply because they have children,” Martinez said.

In a two-week period in May, 658 children across the border were separated from their parents because of this policy, said Richard Hudson, a spokesman for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“The government (is) literally ripping away babies from the arms of their terrified mothers,” Bencomo said. “It is completely immoral. America really needs to take a hard look at itself and really ask ourselves, ‘Is this the kind of people we want to be?’

On Monday, Governor Martinez also stressed that not every adult who comes across the border is related to the child which they accompany.

“Are they truly their children?” Martinez asked. “Do we know and can we verify when they come across with a child in their hand that that child belongs to that adult? Or are we actually becoming complacent to human trafficking?”