The U.N. human rights office is calling on the Trump administration to “immediately halt” its policy of separating children from their parents after crossing U.S. border with Mexico.
Rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani scolded the U.S. for its “zero tolerance” policy in which some families have been separated after migration across the border.
READ MORE: Families separated by U.S.-Mexican border hug it out
The rights office said in a statement that “children should never be detained for reasons related to their own or their parents’ migration status. Detention is never in the best interests of the child and always constitutes a child rights violation.”
Shamdasani told a U.N. briefing Tuesday that the practice of separating families amounted to an “arbitrary and unlawful” interference in family life, calling it a “serious violation” of the rights of children.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Trump blamed the Democrats for families that have to separate at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Separating families at the Border is the fault of bad legislation passed by the Democrats. Border security laws should be changed but the Dems can’t get their act together! Started the Wall,” Trump tweeted.
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