Children’s magazine hits Trump administration over family separations

Popular children’s magazine Highlights on Tuesday issued a statement strongly condemning the Trump administration for its practice of separating migrant children from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border.

In the statement, put out in a post on Twitter, Highlights CEO Kent Johnson called on the government to “cease this activity” of separating children, which he described as “unconscionable.”

{mosads}“This is not a political statement about immigration policy,” Johnson wrote. “This is a statement about human decency, plain and simple. This is a plea for recognition that these are not simply the children of strangers for whom others are accountable.”

Johnson made clear that the company’s core belief that “children are the world’s most important people” applied to “ALL children.” 

At Highlights, our core belief is that children are the world’s most important people. In light of the reports of the living conditions of detained children & threats of further deportation & family separation, here is a statement from our CEO Kent Johnson. #KeepFamiliesTogether pic.twitter.com/CNF5LTv4az

— Highlights (@Highlights) June 25, 2019

The statement, titled “Highlights stands up for immigrant children,” had been retweeted more than 10,000 times as of Wednesday morning.

The strong rebuke comes as child separation has gained renewed attention amid reports of terrible conditions at some border facilities.

It also comes as a photo published earlier this week showing a drowned migrant father and his 23-month-old daughter lying face down in the Rio Grande river underscored the ongoing migrant crisis at the border.