"Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?" My high school government teacher looked around the room to see who would answer her question about the separation of powers. No one answered her. Most of us, it seemed, were more interested in taking our daily afternoon nap after lunch or playing Candy Crush on our iPads (without her knowledge of course). "The separation of powers," she continued after giving up any shred of hope that someone would answer her question, "allows for each branch of our government to have its own job. For example, the Legislative branch passes bills. The President, a part of the Executive branch, approves the bills by signing them into law. The courts, who are a part of the Judicial branch, enforce the laws."
My teacher forged ahead with her lesson, determined that my class recognize the importance of what she was discussing. "The separation of powers is important because it ensures that power isn't given to one person."
Despite my classmates' lack of enthusiasm, my teacher had a point. The only way our country can enforce its laws is through the court system. This week, the courts have decided to exercise their power by giving the Trump administration a deadline, 30 days. According to a federal judge in California, that's all the time the Trump administration has to reunite the families who have been separated.
President Trump signed an executive order on June 20, 2018 that halted the practice of separating illegal immigrant families. Merely halting the practice isn't enough for some states. On June 26, 2018 17 states decided to sue the Trump administration over separating illegal immigrant families. Their goal? To ensure that government officials will make it a priority to reunite the families that have been separated.
But does President Trump have a different reason for separating the families of illegal immigrants? What started this process? President Trump has continually expressed his desire for a secure border. But has his inner businessman overtaken his humanity?
The first rule business students learn is that a business always has to consider costs. How much will it cost to hire more employees? How much will it cost to buy new machinery? Who is paying for the cost of separating illegal immigrant families? The answer is, taxpayers. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says that it costs almost $134 a day to house an adult in one of their immigration detention facilities. Yet, if Immigration and Customs Enforcement wish to house a mother with her child, taxpayers must pay around $319 a day per family.
Did President Trump separate the families of illegal immigrants to save taxpayers money? Will the states succeed in their quest for retaliation? I don't know. One thing I do know is despite all of the troubles our country has faced, our Founding Fathers are still ensuring that democracy will prevail.
