Trump ‘misguiding’ media about migrants: UN envoy

The United Nations (UN)’s envoy for international migration has criticized US President Donald Trump for “misguiding” the world about crowds of Central American asylum-seekers, now at the Mexico-US border.

UN envoy Louise Arbour told The Associated Press on Tuesday, “What’s happening at the southern US border is what it is — 5,000, 7,000, 10,000 people seeking entry in a country of 330 million.”

“It’s very difficult to counter a voice that occupies so much space in the media and in public opinion, even when on many aspects it’s either very misguided or expresses concerns that are disproportionate regarding the reality of it,” she said, referring to Trump and his exaggerated descriptions of the Central American refugees.

Trump has been constantly railing against the migrants, whom he recently described as “some very tough people” who needed to be dealt with forcefully.

Earlier, US border guards had fired tear gas and rubber bullets at unarmed men, women, and young children trying to enter the US.

Once again defending the use of force against the migrants, Trump on Tuesday acknowledged that tear gas had been used. Previously, he had denied the employment of tear gas despite the images and footage from the scene showing otherwise.

Tear-gas affects kids with serious, long-lasting harms

Citing doctors, The Huffington Post said tear gas, which is considered a chemical weapon, has a particularly harsh effect on children because of their weaker respiratory systems.

Chief medical director at a program that treats immigrant children — Terra Firma— told the Post that children who have unnecessarily been subjected to the chemical agent can develop serious long-lasting physical and psychological health disorders.

 “Throwing tear gas at children is not immigration policy. Separating children from their parents is not immigration policy,” said Alan Shapiro. “It’s a torture.”

He also said the migrants in the caravan should be able to enter the US without being subjected to physical or emotional trauma by the federal government.

Rohini Haar, a doctor and medical expert for Physicians for Human Rights, also said children could be exposed to more chemicals because they don’t know they have to close their eyes and mouths when tear gas is fired.

“Most kids scream for their parents when they are in danger,” Haar said. “That natural, reasonable reaction to pain is detrimental in this case.”

A migrant woman has told Reuters that her daughter was tear-gassed and that she saw children faint and struggle to breathe.

A spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics and a pediatrician, Julie Linton, also told the Post that tear gas “is horrifying in terms of the short- and long-term psychological effects, as well as the threat to physical health.”

“The traumas they face can impact them for a lifetime,” she added. “Only when we begin to treat [immigrant children] with compassion and dignity and respect can they begin to heal.”

The images and footage from the scene showing mothers with young children — some in diapers — running and screaming have prompted outrage and condemnation from high-profile Democrats critical of Trump’s harsh and uncompromising policies toward the migrants. 

Arbour, the UN envoy, also said she was “very disappointed” that some countries were stopping support for a global pact to promote safe and orderly migration and reduce human smuggling and trafficking — some for “bizarre” reasons.

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