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Ivanka Trump photo with son sparks backlash as people remind her of missing immigrant children

Picture:
Picture:
Ivanka Trump/ Twitter

Earlier this month, it was confirmed that the Trump administration was making plans to warehouse children on military bases whose parents had immigrated illegally.

A controversial new immigration policy - where children are forcibly being taken from their parents - was introduced last year and, since October 2017, a reported 700 children have been indefinitely separated from their parents, as per Vanity Fair.

The policy is being carried out by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, who have lost account of nearly 1,500 children.

That number was revealed by Steven Wagner of the Department of Health and Human Services when discussing the issue with Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) in April.

President Trump has since blamed the Democrats for the policy and called for the continued building of his controversial border wall.

With this story currently brewing at the top of American politics, Ivanka Trump - who is senior advisor to her father - shared a loving picture of her with her infant son on Twitter.

The timing of this tweet has been criticised heavily for being tone-deaf and incentive, given what is happening to parents on the American border.

During Wagner's meeting with the ORR, he stated that his department is not responsible for the children. Wagner is quoted by CNNas saying:

I understand that it has been HHS's long-standing interpretation of the law that ORR is not legally responsible for children after they are released from ORR care.

A spokesperson for the Administration for Children and Families has said that statements and recommendation are being reviewed following the hearing but not commenting until Congress has issued a response.

The statement also said:

When an unaccompanied alien child is placed with a sponsor, he or she ceases to be in the custody of the US government and all HHS-provided subsistence -- food, shelter, clothing, healthcare and education.

Earlier this month during a Senate hearing, Homeland Security secretary Kirstjen Nielsen confirmed that the policy meant that anyone crossing the border illegally will be prosecuted, despite having small children or claiming they have a right to asylum.

Parents who are prosecuted will be separated from their child during the process. She added:

Our policy is if you break the law, we will prosecute you.

You have an option to go to a port of entry and not illegally cross into our country.

HT Daily Dot

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