Migrant parents are 'some of the worst criminals on earth,' says Trump

Undocumented immigrant and her child in Colorado.
(Image credit: John Moore/Getty Images)

President Trump on Monday claimed that migrant families are being separated at the border because immigrant parents are choosing to bring their children as a way to game the system and enter the U.S.

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Declaring migrant parents "some of the worst criminals on earth" is quite a departure from Trump's usual argument in defense of the separation practice. Just minutes after blaming immigrants from "the most dangerous places in the world" for forcing the separations, Trump reverted back to his usual punching bag: Democrats.

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While Trump has never explained exactly how Democrats are responsible for his administration's decision to start separating families to criminally prosecute undocumented immigrants — perhaps because they're not — he has repeated the claim several times. Many members of the GOP have denounced the policy and pointed out that Trump has the power to stop it, telling Trump that he could end the practice with a simple phone call.

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Rather than do that, though, Trump has shifted responsibility onto all of Twitter, vaguely calling to "CHANGE THE LAWS!"

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Summer Meza, The Week US

Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.