Governors from states including Massachusetts and New York said on Monday that they would not deploy National Guard troops to the U.S. border, adding to a bipartisan coalition of governors who are standing up to the Trump Administration’s controversial policy of separating migrant parents from their children.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, had authorized troops but cancelled the deployment, citing “inhumane” treatment of the several thousand children being held in border facilities. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, issued an executive order banning state resources and employees from being used for any federal purpose that supports separating immigrant families. “It is deeply troubling the U.S. government would participate in such inhumane actions,” Hickenlooper said. “The state of Colorado is a safe and welcoming place for all its residents.”
Bipartisan pushback has gained traction with statements cautioning against or outright condemning the practice by First Lady Melania Trump, as well as former First Lady Laura Bush, who called the practice “immoral” in a Washington Post op-ed.
In the face of the federal government’s inhumane treatment of immigrant families, New York will not deploy National Guard to the border. We will not be complicit in this ongoing human tragedy. pic.twitter.com/a2tTzjNisR
— Archive: Governor Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 18, 2018
Earlier this year, governors from across the country have also vowed to refuse to support the administration’s policy, including Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, who said in April that she would not send troops if requested, as did Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat.
The practice has also been condemned by the United Nations and its human rights chief, who on Monday called the Trump Administration’s policy “unconscionable.”