President Donald Trump's immigration ban affected families all over the world, but a viral Facebook post shows that there was plenty happening at home apart from the airport protests, major companies taking a stand, and even celebrities outlining the basic tenants of constitutional law for the sitting president. The post, which was uploaded by Danielle Dass, outlines an incident at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport involving a Sudanese mother being separated from her child, who, at 11 months old, was still breast-feeding.
Dass' post, which has been shared over 3,000 times, explains that the baby is a U.S. citizen. The mother, who is a legal permanent resident according to Scary Mommy, was being detained alone while ACLU attorneys fought to keep her from getting deported. According to Dass, lawyers weren't just fighting for the mother's right to remain stateside, they were fighting for the child's "right to eat."
Scary Mommy also shared Facebook messages from lawyer Andrew Strong, who was personally handling the case. He explains that he was not being given updates to the child's welfare and that the child's father was being denied access as well. In his blow-by-blow account, he mentions filing a TRO (temporary restraining order) and adds that the "person working the desk has covered her name badge." After nearly an hour apart, Strong posted that the mother and child were reunited, thanks to an assist from the ACLU.
Sources are still unclear about the family's status and Dass adds that "their future in the U.S. is uncertain." She implores those who see her post to get involved: "Please call, email, tweet, and visit your local, state, and national representatives and tell them THIS IS WRONG."
The Leaky Boob, a breast-feeding advocacy group, explains that the situation would have been handled differently if it occurred in a store, but added that this was a different situation entirely. The site echoes the confusion felt by many who felt that the government was doing more harm than good.
"If something were to happen in a store where a child was separated from her mother and denied breastfeeding, we would be outraged and stage a nurse-in and take to social media demanding not only an apology but training for all employees and staff. This company would be shamed and attacked until they cowered, groveling to the family and masses promising never again to do such a thing. But this wasn't a company, it wasn't a store. It was the United States Government. My country that did this horrible thing to a U.S. citizen."
The group echoed Dass' sentiment and told anyone who felt strongly about the situation to reach out. "Call your state representatives and express your concern. Whatever you feel about any of this, if you are outraged that a breastfed infant was separated from her mother and want to express that this should not be permitted to happen again, say as much."