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Trump’s treatment of migrants crime against humanity: Indian-origin Senator
Washington, June 23 (IANS) Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris has accused the Trump administration of committing “crimes against humanity” after she visited an immigration and detention facility in California and met migrant mothers separated from their children.
Harris joined hundreds of protesters along the San Diego border with Mexico on Friday to denounce Trump for his zero-tolerance immigration policy, which has separated more than 2,300 children from their families, the US media reported.
Trump’s immigrant policies amount to a “human rights abuse”, Harris said while addressing a crowd outside the Otay Mesa Detention Centre near San Diego.
“This is outrageous… and clearly a crime against humanity that is being committed by the US government and we have to stop it.” She described the detention facility as a “prison”.
“I am a career prosecutor; I have visited many prisons and jails. That is a prison.”
“I spoke with the mothers who are there and my heart is broken,” Harris was quoted as saying by the San Diego Union Tribune. “These mothers in there think that they are alone. We need to remind them and everyone else that they are not alone, and that we all stand with them.”
The migrant children were separated from their parents upon crossing into the US illegally under the Trump administration’s controversial policy from April to May.
The policy sought to aggressively prosecute migrants who crossed the southern border illegally, often leading to children being separated from their parents as the adults awaited court dates.
Amid growing public outrage, Trump signed an executive order earlier this week calling for an end to the family separations. Details were scant as of Friday, however, federal officials said they were preparing to house 20,000 migrant children on four American military bases.
Harris blasted the administration for giving “no indication” of how the process of reuniting separated migrant families would work.
The administration said on Friday that about 500 families have now been reunified after being separated at the border. At the same time, some migrant parents have been deported while their children remain in US custody, raising concerns about whether they’ll be able to reunite.
“As it stands today, there is no plan or procedure in place by the federal government to ensure the safe and effective reunification of parents and their young children,” Carmen Chavez, Executive Director of Casa Cornelia Law Centre, said as the crowd outside the Otay Mesa Detention Centre repeatedly shouted “shame”.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.