Forced family separation : how Trump’s zero-tolerance policy propelled migrant children separated at the border into the U.S. welfare system

Abstract

The zero-tolerance policy was enacted during the Trump presidency in April 2018 and lasted three months. It forcibly separated migrant families at the U.S./Mexico border, causing irreparable harm. The policy was meant to deter migrants from entering the U.S. and has come at a tremendous human cost. As of June 2022, it is believed that more than 5,000 children were separated (Hampton et al., 2021; Sacchetti, 2022). Many children are yet to be reunited with their families and are being traced through Biden’s task force due to the minimal details recorded by U.S. officials. This ongoing conflict has limited data. To address this gap, this research combines studies and cases from various fields to discuss the effects this policy had on the separated children. The findings focus on the separated children and their experiences from separation onwards. Declarations from the Ms. L. et al. V. ICE (2018) case are used as data and analyzed in a thematic analysis to support studies demonstrating the harms of family separation. A theoretical analysis is used throughout the research further to support the narratives from the class action lawsuit to understand this conflict better. The findings of this research determined that several children are suffering from “post-traumatic stress disorder,” “major depressive disorder,” or “generalized anxiety disorder” (Hampton et al., 2021, p. 5). As the literature demonstrates, acute trauma results from sudden separation from a caregiver and has significant short- and long-term effects on the children. Although these preliminary findings are an asset, research is insufficient on the impact of this policy on the separated children. The life outcome of the separated children is also inconclusive due to this ongoing conflict.