Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York has threatened to file a lawsuit against the federal government over its ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy which has resulted in the separation of families of undocumented immigrants. More than 2000 children have been separated from their parents after the families were caught trying to enter the United States illegally. According to Cuomo, the administration’s decision to separate children from their parents and guardians is a violation of the due process.
Violation of Constitutional Rights
The New York governor, a Democrat, is a known Trump critic and at some point, referred to Trump as ‘ugly.’ Mr. Cuomo said that the lawsuit will be filed in the next two days and will involve three different state agencies. Among the violations that the governor stated is the federal constitutional rights, and he went further to say that the lawsuit will incorporate three different sections of the law. According to the governor and the state of New York, there are at least 70 children being housed in 10 different facilities downstate, including the Bronx, Lincolndale, Yonkers, and Kingston.
The Trump administration insists on enforcing federal laws by prosecuting immigrants who cross the border illegally, and since the government can’t hold children in federal jails, they are sent to detention camps. The US Congress is on the process of revising immigration laws to come up with a comprehensive set of legislation to make permanent changes on immigration. State lawmakers in Albany joined the rest of the nation in the condemnation of Trump’s new immigration policy.
‘Inhumane’ Policy
Gov. Cuomo referred to the administration’s policy on immigration as ‘inhumane,’ saying that separating children from their parents would have a lasting negative effect. State agencies in New York have made several attempts to reach out to the facilities where the children are being held with no avail. The state of New York was trying to offer health and social services for the children. However, this isn’t the first time the governor of New York is threatening to sue the federal government. In January, Andrew Cuomo threatened to sue the federal government over the tax law but didn’t follow through.
