He called on the United States to immediately end the practice of forcible separation of these children, and encouraged the government to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Measures should be taken to "ensure that the fundamental rights of all children, whatever their administrative status, will be at the center of all domestic laws and policies," he said.
US President Donald Trump continued to blame Democrats in Congress for their inaction over the arrests of parents and separate detention of their children.
On Monday, he repeated in tweets his accusation.
He said in one tweet: "It is the Democrats' fault for being weak and ineffective with Boarder Security and Crime. Tell them to start thinking about the people devastated by Crime coming from illegal immigration. Change the laws!"
He misspelled "border."
In another tweet the US president said: "Democrats can fix their forced family breakup at the Border by working with Republicans on new legislation, for a change! This is why we need more Republicans elected in November. Democrats are good at only three things, High Taxes, High Crime and Obstruction. Sad!"
However, various media outlets in the United States have "fact checked" his allegations, refuting them, with some going beyond merely calling them "untruths" to actually call them "lies," saying it is only his administration's policy that has caused the separation and detention of children.
But US Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen defended the president on Monday.
"We will not apologize for the job we do or for the job law enforcement does, for doing the job that the American people expect us to do," she said in a speech in New Orleans, Louisiana. "Illegal actions have and must have consequences. No more free passes, no more get-out-of-jail-free cards."
The spokeswoman for first lady Melania Trump said on Sunday that "Mrs. Trump hates to see children separated from their families and hopes both sides of the aisle (in Congress) can finally come together to achieve successful immigration reform."
As of Monday, three former first ladies have criticized the Trump policy.
Laura Bush, the wife of former Republican President George W. Bush, wrote on Twitter Sunday: "I appreciate the need to enforce and protect our international boundaries, but this zero-tolerance policy is cruel. It is immoral. And it breaks my heart." |