Two leading business groups slammed the Trump administration's child separation practice that occurs when migrants illegally cross into the United States.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Thomas Donohue penned a piece for the organization's website in which he said the policy needs to stop.
"Thousands of children are being forcibly removed from their parents by our government," Donohue wrote. "There is no other way to say it, this is not who we are, and it must end now.
"It is not just that America is a nation of immigrants — it is that since our founding we have embraced certain core values. One of those values is that children should not be punished for the crimes of their parents. Yet, today, government policy is running in direct contradiction to that value."
In a separate statement, Chuck Robbins — the chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems who also chairs the Business Roundtable Immigration Committee — pleaded for the Trump administration to work with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to stop the separation of families.
"Business Roundtable urges the administration to end immediately the policy of separating accompanied minors from their parents," Robbins said. "This practice is cruel and contrary to American values.
"Business Roundtable applauds lawmakers from both parties who are working in good faith to reform our immigration system in a comprehensive way. Resolving these issues in a manner that reflects American values will boost our economy and is right for our society."
As part of a May directive from Attorney General Jeff Sessions, families who illegally cross into the U.S. from Mexico are separated. Parents are processed criminally for breaking immigration laws, while their children are taken to detention facilities.
Lawmakers are scrambling to come up with legislation that would close loopholes in immigration laws so the practice would end.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.