Immigrant boy tried to jump out of a window after being separated from his father

Source: Think Progress


A new lawsuit shows how Trump's policy is creating extreme trauma among young children.
LUKE BARNES
JUN 26, 2018, 7:02 PM

A young South American boy was so traumatized after being forcibly separated from his father at the border that he nearly jumped out of a second-story window, according to a new lawsuit filed by 18 attorneys general against the Trump administration.

The lawsuit, which includes the states of New York, Washington, and California, alleges that the family separation policy is not only unconstitutional but also “irrationally discriminatory” and arbitrary. It outlines some of the more chilling effects that tearing away children from their parents is having on their mental health.

The boy who nearly jumped out of the window said he wanted to because he missed his parents. Twelve other children had to be hospitalized in New York City hospitals because of mental and physical illnesses, including depression and anxiety. In New York state, many of the children who have been separated did not yet speak, including multiple toddlers and one nine-month-old baby.

“The administration’s practice of separating families is cruel, plain and simple,” New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal told the Associated Press. “Every day, it seems like the administration is issuing new, contradictory policies and relying on new, contradictory justifications.”

Read more: https://thinkprogress.org/immigrant-boy-tried-to-jump-out-of-a-window-after-being-separated-from-his-father-fa4eb96fc2ff/