On the US-Mexico border, immigration officials are ripping children away from their parents. Federal public defenders say that between May 21 and June 5 in McAllen, Texas, 415 children were separated from their mothers and/or fathers. As news of the Trump Administration’s zero-tolerance crackdown – which includes inhumanely tearing families apart – on immigration at the border, sparks outrage about how it will traumatize young children and their parents, we’re already seeing the negative effects of this policy.
After Marco Antonio Muñoz, 39, and his wife and 3-year-old son arrived at Granjeno, Texas on May 12, agents split them up. They were taken into custody and at a processing station, they were informed they’d be separated. An agent, who anonymously spoke to The Washington Post, said Marco didn’t want to give up his child. “The guy lost his shit,” the agent said. “They had to use physical force to take the child out of his hands.”
Once handcuffed, Marco tried to flee. He was booked into jail at 9:40 p.m. By 9:50 a.m. on May 13, he was dead. He had committed suicide. A guard said a “piece of clothing twisted around his neck which was tied to the drainage location in the center of the cell.” But his story didn’t make the front pages of newspapers. As a matter of fact, no outlets covered the incident initially, because the Department of Homeland Security didn’t disclosed his death. But through a copy of a sheriff’s department report, The Washington Post reported this heartbreaking case.
As this tragic case goes viral, Marco’s story is sending shockwaves across the country. People are expressing their anger and support on social media. Check out a few reactions below.