Government

Lawyer Moms Of America To Protest Children Being Separated From Their Parents At The Border

They will not let this unconscionable practice stand on their watch.

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(Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

Since the Trump’s administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy for illegal border crossing was announced in early May, about 60 children have been forcibly separated from their parents at the U.S./Mexico border each and every day. Those numbers add up quickly, and today, more than 2,300 frightened children have been taken from their parents and sent into the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, where miserable cries of “Mommy!” and “Daddy!” can be heard echoing off the walls in a chorus of pure despair from inside the steel cages where they spend their days and nights.

This is exactly what is happening in child detention centers in our country right now:

You don’t have to be a parent to find that completely heartbreaking, but the members of Lawyer Moms of America, a nonpartisan group that’s now 10,000 strong and growing, are parents, and they’re not going to take this child cruelty any longer.

On June 29, Lawyer Moms of America is planning a Day of Action to protest these family separations. Here’s how you can get involved:

[L]awyer moms around the country are organizing to gather at our senators’ offices and deliver an open letter stating our opposition to the current federal policy of separating migrant children from their parents.

Each of us would do anything to keep our children safe. Each of us swore an oath to defend the Constitution. We will not let this unconscionable practice stand on our watch. Join us. Let’s make some noise.

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An incredibly diverse group of attorneys from across the country have rushed to join Lawyer Moms of America, from Biglaw to small firms to solo practitioners to in-house counsel, working in just about every practice area imaginable. Many of these lawyers have stepped up to accept volunteer duties that will help the group attain its goal of putting a stop to these unlawful family separations at the border.

Tovah Kopan, one of the group’s four co-founders, explained to me that Lawyer Moms of America will be “demanding that members of Congress do something to stop this unacceptable practice at the border.”

Practices at the border are offensive on two levels for us. On the legal level, it not only violates international law, but it is unconstitutional. On the mother level, it’s immoral, and wrong, and heartbreaking that this is going on. We can look around our homes and see our own children, and to picture them not in their beds at night and not know where they are — it’s simply unconscionable.

Lawyer Moms of America will be delivering this open letter to lawmakers in all 50 states. In some states, one person will be tasked with hand-delivering the letter, while in others, there will be rallies ahead of the hand-delivery of the letter. Kopan reiterated that this is not a partisan issue, and it’s not an issue that affects only lawyers, only mothers, or only parents — it’s an issue of right and wrong, and that’s why the group was recently opened to anyone who wants to get involved.

While the group is not collecting donations, t-shirts will be available soon, their Facebook group is up and running, and their website is expected to launch sometime today. Join Lawyer Moms of America in their fight for justice as soon as you can.

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“In a perfect world,” Kopan said, “there would be no need for this group, but sadly, I think we will be around for much longer after the Day of Action on June 29. We’re not going anywhere. Lawyers don’t go anywhere and mothers don’t go anywhere. We’re here — and we always will be.”

(Flip to the next page to see the open letter Lawyer Moms of America plans to send to every member of Congress.)

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky has been an editor at Above the Law since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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