Dear Editor:

Of all of the new policies President Trump has adopted during his first 500 days, the worst is the odious policy that since April separates children from their parents when they cross the U.S.-Mexico border and places them in warehouses or military barracks that are rapidly becoming overcrowded. This is an unprecedented evil that must be stopped.

The policy of forced separation violates Americans’ deeply rooted belief in the sanctity of families. The policy is inhumane, reminiscent of the horrors of World War II concentration camps. Despite efforts by some at the border to help the children, reports state that hundreds of children taken from their mothers and fathers have already become “lost” in the system.

The president has sought to justify his policy by stating that its purpose is simply to discourage illegal immigration. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has said that parents seeking asylum should leave their children at home. Both comments show a high degree of ignorance of the situation on the ground and a high degree of indifference to human suffering.

It is a good moment to remember that the only barrier to the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. Call your representatives and senators to register your disapproval of this anti-family policy.

Doreen Dun

East Boothbay