DOCSLIB.ORG

General Assembly 2 February 2018

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
General Assembly 2 February 2018 United Nations A/AC.183/SR.387 Distr.: General General Assembly 2 February 2018 Original: English Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People Summary record of the 387th meeting Held at Headquarters, New York, on Thursday, 14 December 2017, at 4 p.m. Chair: Mr. Seck ...................................................... (Senegal) Contents Adoption of the agenda Update on developments since the previous meeting of the Committee The situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and developments in the political process Reports on meetings of the Committee at United Nations Headquarters and abroad Updates from Member States on their activities related to the question of Palestine Other matters This record is subject to correction. Corrections should be submitted in one of the working languages. They should be set forth in a memorandum and also incorporated in a copy of the record. They should be sent as soon as possible to the Chief of the Documents Management Section ([email protected]). Corrected records will be reissued electronically on the Official Document System of the United Nations (http://documents.un.org/). 17-22539 (E) *1722539* A/AC.183/SR.387 The meeting was called to order at 4.10 p.m. rejected the decision of the United States, called for de-escalation and reaffirmed its principled stance with Adoption of the agenda respect to Israel: Jerusalem was an international city and the capital of two States, in keeping with General 1. The agenda was adopted. Assembly resolution 181 (II) and Security Council resolutions 476 (1980), 478 (1980) and 2334 (2016). Update on developments since the previous meeting of the Committee 6. In the context of the current discussion, the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for 2. The Chair said that the special meeting in Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was observance of the International Day of Solidarity with important. UNRWA provided essential services for the Palestinian People, held on 29 November 2017, had Palestinian refugees, who were spread over various been a success. The meeting had been attended by the countries including the State of Palestine itself, and President of the General Assembly, the President of the Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. In order to complete its Security Council, the Deputy Secretary-General, the planned activities for 2017, UNRWA must make up a Chair of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli funding shortfall of $49 million. UNRWA had recently Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian made the wise decision to continue its activities, despite People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, the lacking sufficient funding. However, following the Observer for the State of Palestine and the Chief of the announcement made the previous week regarding New York Office of the High Commissioner for Human Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees feared that their fate Rights. The Committee had also heard statements made would become less of a priority. Members of the on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, Committee and donors should therefore help UNRWA to the League of Arab States, the African Union close its funding gap and contribute generously towards Commission and the Organization of Islamic its work for the first half of 2018. Cooperation (OIC). The Secretary-General of Amnesty International had also delivered a statement as the The situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, representative of civil society. The evening programme including East Jerusalem, and developments in the had included two cultural events: a private viewing of political process the exhibition “The Palestinian People: Everlasting Roots, Infinite Horizons”, and a performance by 7. Mr. Mansour (Observer for the State of Palestine) singer-composer Ameer Dandan. said that the events held to commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian 3. On 30 November 2017 the General Assembly had People had been very well attended; the cultural evening adopted a series of resolutions related to the mandate of programme had been particularly successful. In that the Committee, the Division for Palestinian Rights, the connection, he invited Member States to display the Special Information Programme on Palestine of the exhibition, “The Palestinian People: Everlasting Roots, Department of Public Information, and the peaceful Infinite Horizons”, in their capitals. The exhibition, resolution of the Palestinian question, including which was available in digital format, showcased the Jerusalem. achievements of 100 Palestinians who had made 4. Following the announcement, on 6 December contributions to diverse fields including medicine, 2017, of the decision by the United States of America to science and the arts. recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to 8. The Committee delegation visit to the United transfer its embassy to that city, the secretariat of the Republic of Tanzania had equally been a success, and Committee had held an emergency meeting the next day. had demonstrated how much could be achieved in only On that occasion it had issued a communiqué stating that three days; along with the Committee’s successful visit the decision was a flagrant violation of United Nations to Latin America earlier in 2017, it was evidence that resolutions and had reaffirmed its long-standing support such engagement should be expanded. for and solidarity with the Palestinian people. The communiqué had also reaffirmed the Committee’s 9. The decision by the Government of the United support for the inalienable right of the Palestinian States of America to recognize Jerusalem as the capital people to self-determination and freedom in an of Israel and to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to independent Palestinian State at peace with all its Jerusalem was unilateral, irresponsible and reckless, and neighbours. a clear violation of international law and relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions. 5. At an emergency meeting held on 8 December 2017, The Security Council had united to defend its the Security Council had, by an overwhelming majority, 2/6 17-22539 A/AC.183/SR.387 resolutions 476 (1980) and 478 (1980) which stipulated, possible terms, the President’s decision to recognize inter alia, that all the unilateral actions that had taken Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the occupying Power, place affecting Jerusalem were null and void, and had affirmed that it was legally null and void and decried it no legal validity, as well as calling on all Member States as an attack on the historical, legal and national rights not to have diplomatic representation in Jerusalem. of the Palestinian people. Those resolutions represented unanimous international 14. Several paragraphs of the final communiqué were agreement, in accordance with General Assembly related to the United Nations: the Security Council was resolution 181 (II), that Jerusalem had a special status called upon to immediately reaffirm the legal status of that was not to be changed unless there was peace Jerusalem, end the Israeli occupation of the land of the between all the parties involved. The decision by the State of Palestine, ensure international protection of the United States was illegal and provocative, not only to Palestinian people and implement all of its resolutions Palestinians but to billions of Muslims and Christians concerning Palestine. At the summit OIC had also around the world. Jerusalem was pivotal to peace in the affirmed its readiness to seek redress for the grave Middle East. violation through the United Nations General Assembly, 10. The day following the announcement there had should the Security Council fail to act in accordance been an emergency meeting of Arab ministers for with General Assembly resolution 377 A (V), entitled foreign affairs, who had instructed the Arab “Uniting for peace”. ambassadors in New York to submit a draft resolution to 15. The resolution adopted by OIC requested its the Security Council. On 13 December 2017 OIC had member States to take the necessary measures to ensure held a summit on the same issue, which had resulted in full compliance with all OIC resolutions on the a declaration by its 54 member States affirming that East Palestinian cause, and, in addition, “to procure a Jerusalem was the capital of the State of Palestine. resolution by the United Nations Security Council, 11. Security Council consultations were almost which affirms the legal status of the City of Al-Quds complete to prepare a draft resolution that would reflect [Jerusalem], and sets a credible course consistent with the united position of 14 of its members. The draft international law and international consensus for resolution would reaffirm principles reflected in realizing peace”. At the summit OIC had also declared previous Security Council resolutions: it would not East Jerusalem the capital of the State of Palestine, and denounce or condemn any State, but it would state that had invited all countries to recognize the State of any action to alter the legal or demographic status of Palestine, and East Jerusalem as its occupied capital. Jerusalem was null and void, and without legal validity, 16. The international community was at a historic and would call on States not to locate their embassies in crossroads and must come together decisively to defend Jerusalem. The objective was to defend existing international law and the principles that underpinned it. principles regarding Jerusalem. The vote would take If the United Nations failed to defend international law, place on 18 December 2017 at the latest. chaos would ensue. 12. On a related matter, he strongly urged Member 17. Mr. Bin Momen (Observer for Bangladesh) States to vote in favour of the draft resolution on the expressed his gratitude to the Committee for the timely right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, response to the announcement by the United States that which would take place on 19 December 2017 in the it would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Cultural Orientation | Kurmanji
    KURMANJI A Kurdish village, Palangan, Kurdistan Flickr / Ninara DLIFLC DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER 2018 CULTURAL ORIENTATION | KURMANJI TABLE OF CONTENTS Profile Introduction ................................................................................................................... 5 Government .................................................................................................................. 6 Iraqi Kurdistan ......................................................................................................7 Iran .........................................................................................................................8 Syria .......................................................................................................................8 Turkey ....................................................................................................................9 Geography ................................................................................................................... 9 Bodies of Water ...........................................................................................................10 Lake Van .............................................................................................................10 Climate ..........................................................................................................................11 History ...........................................................................................................................11
    [Show full text]
  • New Challenges for the American Lawyer in International Human Rights Susan L
    Washington and Lee Law Review Volume 55 | Issue 3 Article 7 Summer 6-1-1998 New Challenges for the American Lawyer in International Human Rights Susan L. Karamanian Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu/wlulr Part of the Human Rights Law Commons, and the International Law Commons Recommended Citation Susan L. Karamanian, New Challenges for the American Lawyer in International Human Rights, 55 Wash. & Lee L. Rev. 757 (1998), https://scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu/wlulr/vol55/iss3/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Washington and Lee Law Review at Washington & Lee University School of Law Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Washington and Lee Law Review by an authorized editor of Washington & Lee University School of Law Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. New Challenges for the American Lawyer in International Human Rights Susan L. Karamanian* I Introduction Every licensed lawyer in the United States takes an oath to support or uphold the Constitution of the United States and to support or uphold the laws of the respective state in which he or she is licensed. Every lawyer licensed to practice in a federal court in the United States similarly swears to uphold the laws of the United States Constitution. No explicit reference is made to the obligation of a lawyer to support or uphold international law, let alone the law of international human rights. For many practitioners and courts alike, international norms on human rights are irrelevant, for "it is American conceptions of decency that are dis- positive."' Domestic lawyers, however, more often are invoking the law of international human rights in an effort to expand the protection afforded their clients' civil, criminal, social, political, and economic rights.
    [Show full text]
  • In PDF Format, Please Click Here
    Deprivatio of Existence The use of Disguised Legalization as a Policy to Seize Property by Successive Governments of Syria A special report sheds light on discrimination projects aiming at radical demographic changes in areas historically populated by Kurds Acknowledgment and Gratitude The present report is the result of a joint cooperation that extended from 2018’s second half until August 2020, and it could not have been produced without the invaluable assistance of witnesses and victims who had the courage to provide us with official doc- uments proving ownership of their seized property. This report is to be added to researches, books, articles and efforts made to address the subject therein over the past decades, by Syrian/Kurdish human rights organizations, Deprivatio of Existence individuals, male and female researchers and parties of the Kurdish movement in Syria. Syrians for Truth and Justice (STJ) would like to thank all researchers who contributed to documenting and recording testimonies together with the editors who worked hard to produce this first edition, which is open for amendments and updates if new credible information is made available. To give feedback or send corrections or any additional documents supporting any part of this report, please contact us on [email protected] About Syrians for Truth and Justice (STJ) STJ started as a humble project to tell the stories of Syrians experiencing enforced disap- pearances and torture, it grew into an established organization committed to unveiling human rights violations of all sorts committed by all parties to the conflict. Convinced that the diversity that has historically defined Syria is a wealth, our team of researchers and volunteers works with dedication at uncovering human rights violations committed in Syria, regardless of their perpetrator and victims, in order to promote inclusiveness and ensure that all Syrians are represented, and their rights fulfilled.
    [Show full text]
  • International Intervention and the Use of Force: Military and Police Roles
    004SSRpaperFRONT_16pt.ai4SSRpaperFRONT_16pt.ai 1 331.05.20121.05.2012 117:27:167:27:16 SSR PAPER 4 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K International Intervention and the Use of Force: Military and Police Roles Cornelius Friesendorf DCAF DCAF a centre for security, development and the rule of law SSR PAPER 4 International Intervention and the Use of Force Military and Police Roles Cornelius Friesendorf DCAF The Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) is an international foundation whose mission is to assist the international community in pursuing good governance and reform of the security sector. The Centre develops and promotes norms and standards, conducts tailored policy research, identifies good practices and recommendations to promote democratic security sector governance, and provides in‐country advisory support and practical assistance programmes. SSR Papers is a flagship DCAF publication series intended to contribute innovative thinking on important themes and approaches relating to Security Sector Reform (SSR) in the broader context of Security Sector Governance (SSG). Papers provide original and provocative analysis on topics that are directly linked to the challenges of a governance‐driven security sector reform agenda. SSR Papers are intended for researchers, policy‐makers and practitioners involved in this field. ISBN 978‐92‐9222‐202‐4 © 2012 The Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces EDITORS Alan Bryden & Heiner Hänggi PRODUCTION Yury Korobovsky COPY EDITOR Cherry Ekins COVER IMAGE © isafmedia The views expressed are those of the author(s) alone and do not in any way reflect the views of the institutions referred to or represented within this paper.
    [Show full text]
  • Interview with Lamia Walker
    The UN Women’s Newsletter, Vol. 12, No. • January, February and March 2008 INTERVIEW WITH LAMIA WALKER Lamia is Associate Director at the Centre for Women in Business at the London Business School Lamia is Associate Director at the Centre for Women in Business with Professor Lynda Gratton at the London Business School, and runs the Centre’s outreach programme. In November 2007, after the launch of the Centre’s second major study on the “Innovative Potential: Men and Women in Teams”, Lamia and her colleague Dr. Elisabeth Kelan were invited to participate in the UN Focal Point for Women’s Expert Group Meeting on Measures to Accelerate the Improvement in the Status of Women in the United Nations System. Lamia was elected Chairwoman for the session held in November 2007, as part of the UN Task Force for the Advancement of Women in the United Nations. Prior to joining the London Business School, her most recent role was at KPMG where she ran marketing projects across 25 country groups in the European, Middle Eastern and African region. She has also worked for Staples International as a marketing professional driving new business through European direct marketing and catalogue programmes in three countries. Earning a Post Graduate Degree in Publishing, from the University of Denver, Colorado, in the United States, and her Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities and History from the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University in Minnesota, United States, Lamia moved to the United Kingdom and obtained a Diploma in Communications, Advertising and Marketing from the London School of Printing and Distributive Trades before beginning her marketing career.
    [Show full text]
  • S/PV.8645 the Situation in the Middle East 24/10/2019
    United Nations S/ PV.8645 Security Council Provisional Seventy-fourth year 8645th meeting Thursday, 24 October 2019, 3 p.m. New York President: Mr. Matjila ..................................... (South Africa) Members: Belgium ....................................... Mr. Pecsteen de Buytswerve China ......................................... Mr. Zhang Jun Côte d’Ivoire ................................... Mr. Moriko Dominican Republic .............................. Ms. Morrison González Equatorial Guinea ............................... Mr. Esono Mbengono France ........................................ Mr. De Rivière Germany ...................................... Mr. Heusgen Indonesia. Mr. Syihab Kuwait ........................................ Mr. Almunayekh Peru .......................................... Mr. Duclos Poland ........................................ Mr. Lewicki Russian Federation ............................... Mr. Nebenzia United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland .. Mr. Allen United States of America .......................... Mr. Barkin Agenda The situation in the Middle East Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2258 (2015), 2332 (2016), 2393 (2017), 2401 (2018) and 2449 (2018) (S/2019/820) This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the translation of speeches delivered in other languages. The final text will be printed in the Official Records of the Security Council. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room U-0506 ([email protected]). Corrected records will be reissued electronically on the Official Document System of the United Nations (http://documents.un.org). 19-33336 (E) *1933336* S/PV.8645 The situation in the Middle East 24/10/2019 The meeting was called to order at 3.05 p.m. the United Nations and international humanitarian law.
    [Show full text]
  • Letter Dated 15 March 2021 from the President of the Security Council
    United Nations S/2021/250 Security Council Distr.: General 17 March 2021 Original: English Letter dated 16 March 2021 from the President of the Security Council addressed to the Secretary-General and the Permanent Representatives of the members of the Security Council I have the honour to enclose, herewith, a copy of the briefings provided by the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. António Guterres; Ms. Gabriela Bucher, Executive Director, Oxfam International; and Mr. David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Programme, as well as the statements delivered by Their Excellencies Ms. Eva-Maria Liimets, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Estonia; Mr. Simon Coveney, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence of Ireland; Ms. Raychelle Omamo, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Kenya; Ms. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Permanent Representative of the United States of America and Member of President Biden’s Cabinet; Mr. Dag-Inge Ulstein, Minister for International Development of Norway; Mr. Saboto Caesar, Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for the Commonwealth, the United Nations and South Asia of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as the statements delivered by the representatives of China, France, India, Mexico, the Niger, the Russian Federation, Tunisia and Viet Nam, in connection with the video-teleconference on “Maintenance of international peace and security: conflict
    [Show full text]
  • African States at the UN Human Rights Council in 2018
    Special Report August 2020 African States at the UN Human Rights Council in 2018 EDUARD JORDAAN African perspectives Global insights Abstract This report examines the records of the 13 African members of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) during 2018. Specifically, the report assesses the commitment of African countries to international human rights. It bases its assessment on African countries’ actions in two domains of the HRC’s work: country-specific human rights problems and civil and political rights. The report demonstrates that during 2018, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire and Rwanda had the strongest commitment to international human rights while Ethiopia, Egypt and Burundi were the African states that most strongly opposed human rights. It further shows the diversity of African positions – on none of the 34 votes discussed in the report did African states vote in unison. Although the overall picture is one of an unwillingness to defend international human rights, African states ranged from mild support for to strong opposition to international human rights. 2 Special Report | AFRICAN STATES AT THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL IN 2018 Abbreviations & acronyms CSO civil society organisation DRC Democratic Republic of Congo HRC Human Rights Council (UN) OHCHR Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights OIC Organisation of Islamic Cooperation UAE United Arab Emirates UN United Nations 3 Special Report | AFRICAN STATES AT THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL IN 2018 Author Eduard Jordaan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political and International Studies at Rhodes University. His research interests are in international human rights and global ethics. He is the author of the book South Africa and the UN Human Rights Council: The Fate of the Liberal Order (Routledge, 2020).
    [Show full text]
  • Migrants Can Make International Law
    \\jciprod01\productn\H\HLE\45-1\HLE101.txt unknown Seq: 1 3-FEB-21 17:36 MIGRANTS CAN MAKE INTERNATIONAL LAW Ama Ruth Francis* Migrants have the power to make international law as norm creators. The nation-state enjoys a monopoly on violence in domestic jurisgenesis, but international law’s constraint on the use of force provides non-state actors the opportunity to participate in the formation of international legal doctrine without the threat of violence. Scholars have overlooked this non- state jurisgenerative potential, bound by a state-centric conception of law. This Article applies the claim that non-state actors have the power to influence international law to the transna- tional issue of climate-induced migration. Climate change intensifies slow- and sudden-onset events, and sudden-onset disasters already displace millions annually. Yet international law grants nation-states the right to largely exclude foreigners such that climate migrants have no right to enter another country, resettle, or be protected against forcible return when they are displaced across borders. While liberal scholars defend this right to exclude as necessary for the preservation of sovereignty, the majority of nation-states participate in free movement agree- ments—regional trade agreements that promote migration—demonstrating that sovereignty and exclusion are not mutually constitutive. Ultimately, I leverage the challenge of climate-induced migration to ask who has the power to change international law. My response proceeds in two parts. First, the Article challenges the state-centric focus of international law to call attention to non-state actors’ ability to create legal norms. Second, I draw on diasporic theory to argue that the Global South diaspora—Global Southerners living in the Global North—should leverage their hybrid posi- tionality to create legal norms that reconstitute sovereignty through admission.
    [Show full text]
  • International Commission of Jurists Annual Report 2012 Vision
    International Commission of Jurists Annual Report 2012 Vision A world in which a just, democratic and peaceful society is achieved through the rule of law, the arbitrary exercise of power is prevented, rights and freedoms are expanded, and social justice is embraced. A world in which everyone is able, without discrimination, to realize and exercise his or her civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights, and in which the rights of the most marginalized are addressed. A world in which everyone is equal before the law and protected from human rights violations by the law in practice, where those in power are held accountable for human rights violations, where justice is administered in accordance with due process of law, where victims have access to effective remedies and justice, and where those who come before the courts receive a fair trial and never face the death penalty. Mission To ensure that international law, especially human rights and humanitarian issues, is utilized effectively for the protection of all people, particularly the most vulnerable, and is implemented through effective national and international procedures. To promote and extend the rule of law as a dynamic concept through which civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights are safeguarded and advanced. To advance the understanding that the rule of law requires that States observe the principle of separation of powers by establishing effective executive, judicial and legislative institutions and measures that serve as checks and balances to protect the human rights of all people. To assist judges, lawyers and prosecutors, acting under the highest ethical standards and professional integrity, to be independent, impartial and free to carry out their duties.
    [Show full text]
  • Opportunity Costs: Military Spending and the UN's Development Agenda
    OPPORTUNITY COSTS: Military Spending and the UN’s Development Agenda A view from the International Peace Bureau 2 OPPORTUNITY COSTS: MILITARY SPENDING AND THE UN’s DEVELOPMENT AGENDA © International Peace Bureau, November 2012 Colin Archer and Annette Willi Acknowledgements IPB gratefully acknowledges detailed contributions to this paper by: David Atwood Tim Caughley Andres Guerrero Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan Final responsibility for the contents rests with the authors alone. Photographs: Panos Pictures Design: Parfab Geneva International Peace Bureau 41 rue de Zürich 1201 Geneva, Switzerland Tel: +41 (0)22 731 64 29 http://www.ipb.org OPPORTUNITY COSTS: MILITARY SPENDING AND THE UN’s DEVELOPMENT AGENDA 3 Executive Summary While the level of global military expenditure is today higher than ever, at an estimated $1738 billions per annum, many states fail to increase their foreign development aid to the UN target of 0.7% of GDP, and to tackle effectively their economic and social development challenges. To counter these imbalances, the International Peace Bureau advocates general reductions in excessive military spending and a shift of resources to projects addressing human needs, both domestic and international. This paper outlines the basic data in this field and makes the case for such a shift. Since the establishment of the United Nations, and indeed much earlier too, the high cost of the defence sector has often been debated among States. The comparison between resources for armament and those made available for development became seen as scandalous during the Cold War, and many resolutions and action plans were adopted to challenge the disparity. Yet they failed to halt the arms races of the last century.
    [Show full text]
  • The Law Against Family Separation
    Georgetown University Law Center Scholarship @ GEORGETOWN LAW 2020 The Law Against Family Separation Carrie F. Cordero Georgetown University Law Center, [email protected] Heidi Li Feldman Georgetown University Law Center, [email protected] Chimène Keitner University of California Hastings College of the Law, [email protected] This paper can be downloaded free of charge from: https://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/facpub/2234 Columbia Human Rights Law Review, Vol. 51, No. 2, 432. This open-access article is brought to you by the Georgetown Law Library. Posted with permission of the author. Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/facpub Part of the National Security Law Commons, and the Torts Commons THE LAW AGAINST FAMILY SEPARATION Carrie F. Cordero, Heidi Li Feldman, Chimène I. Keitner* ABSTRACT This Article offers the first comprehensive assessment of how domestic and international law limits the U.S. government’s ability to separate foreign children From the adults accompanying them when they seek to enter the United States. As early as March 6, 2017, then- Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that he was considering separating families at the border as a deterrent to illegal immigration as part of a “zero tolerance” policy whereby the Trump administration intended the strictest enforcement of immigration law against those migrants coming to the U.S. southern border. Kelly did not say upon what legal basis the administration could lawfully separate families at the border as a component of its immigration policies. Whatever the merits of maximal prosecution oF adults unlawFully crossing the border, adopting this policy did not convert family separation into a lawful byproduct of the arrest of an adult.
    [Show full text]