CNN analyst Sam Vinograd claimed that there’s a difference between former President Barack Obama’s policy to separate children from parents who were apprehended trying to enter the country illegally and President Donald Trump’s, which did the same thing.
Her claim came Tuesday afternoon during her appearance on “The Situation Room” with Wolf Blitzer, in response to Trump telling reporters earlier in the day that he had no intention of bringing back the policy of separating families at the border.
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“He stopped it after he authorized the zero-tolerance policy that was announced by John Kelly here on The Situation Room, only, what, six or eight weeks after he was inaugurated and then the Attorney General Jeff Sessions, at the time, he implemented that policy,” Blitzer began. “The policy no longer exists right now, but that was a new strategy, a new policy that they had implemented to deter illegal immigration.”
“Right, but let’s be clear on the facts here, is that the Obama administration did not have a wholesale policy of zero tolerance at the border, which is what led to the family separations in the first place. So Obama’s attorney general, unlike Jeff Sessions, did not have a policy of prosecuting 100% of families,” Laura Jarrett responded.
“As a result, did not systemically break apart family units,” she continued. “Now, the Trump administration has said, we’re not going to break apart family units, which means we have choices. We can keep the families together, or we can do what is derisively called ‘catch and release,’ and allow them into the United States throughout the pendency of their immigration proceedings.”
Pres Trump said he’s not looking to bring back family separation at the border. but says when you don’t do it, a lot more people pour across the border. “They’re coming like it’s a picnic.” Says it’s like “let’s go to Disneyland.” Says Obama Admin started it, he stopped it. pic.twitter.com/T7CFTqmkE3
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) April 9, 2019
“When President Obama separated children from their families, Wolf, or from adults, Wolf, it was for their protection. It was if there was a risk of trafficking or other kind of harm that might have been incurred,” Vinograd answered. “But even if he did do that, why is Donald Trump saying that two wrongs make a right? Again, Obama wasn’t wrong, but so he’s saying that because something happened under President Obama, he’s repeating it and upping the ante. That’s an incredibly poor excuse. He’s systemized that inhumane treatment that, again, Obama was doing to protect the children.” (RELATED: Kirstjen Nielsen: Crisis At The Border Is Getting Worse By The Day)
Trump’s comments about the policy come two days after Kirstjen Nielsen decided to resign as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
There have been reports that White House senior adviser Stephen Miller, who is behind the president’s immigration policy, would leak damaging information to the press and then would use it to undercut her to the president.