Calling the separation of young immigrant children from their parents at the border dehumanizing and inhumane, the Southwestern College Governing Board unanimously passed a resolution calling for family reunification.
At its meeting Tuesday, the Governing Board unanimously passed Resolution 2056 and called on the federal administration to comply with the June 26 order of the Federal Court for the Southern District of California to reunite the families.
Additionally the Governing Board authorized Board President Griselda Delgado and Superintendent/President Dr. Kindred Murillo to take any action, including legal action, they deemed appropriate in support of the policies embodied by the resolution.
Governing Board Member Tim Nader, who authored the resolution, thanked his fellow board members for their support of the resolution.
“I want to thank my colleagues for the statements they made tonight regarding the barbaric activity going on at the border,” Nader said. “It defies the law and common decency. I am glad to be part of a board that takes actions that are consistent with the values expressed in this resolution.”
Board President Delgado echoed Nader’s sentiments.
“As leaders of the college, it is critical that the faculty, board and administration come together and have one mission—to be able to protect our families and our students,” Delgado said.
News reports estimate that more than 2,700 children have been separated from their families between Oct. 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018—with nearly 2,000 of those children separated in April and May. On June 26, District Court Judge Dana Sabraw granted a preliminary injunction that sets a hard deadline for family reunification within 30 days. Children younger than five must be reunited with their families within 14 days, the court ruled.
