World News

Children separated at US-Mexico border had ‘no interaction’ with their parents: report on September 18, 2023 at 9:26 pm

Published

2 years ago

September 18, 2023

Migrant children who were separated from their parents at the southern border were not informed by U.S. officials of their right to interact with family members, resulting in increased trauma from detention, according to an official report filed in court last week.

According to the report, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials at times separated children as young as 8 from their parents, often without informing the parties of their right to interact with each other.

The report was filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for Central California by Paul Wise, a professor of child health and pediatrics at Stanford University, the court-appointed Juvenile Child Monitor overseeing implementation of the Flores settlement agreement, a key court resolution governing detention standards for migrant minors.

“None of the interviewed children had visited with their parents since they were separated, including children who had been separated for 4 days. Most of the children were not aware of any protocols that would allow them to request a visit with their parents,” wrote Wise in the filing.

Caregivers assigned to the children were also largely unaware of the detainees’ visitation rights, according to the report.

The report, concerning conditions for migrant minors in just two sectors of the border, Rio Grande Valley and El Paso, heightened concerns among advocates.

“U.S. Border Patrol’s continued practice of family separation as detailed in this report is deeply troubling. It confirms that CBP continues to violate children’s rights to safety and family unity, despite the traumatic and long-lasting consequences of separating children,” said Gladis Molina, executive director at the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights.

“The fact that Dr. Wise’s report focuses on just one part of the border gives us reason to be concerned that forced family separation is even more widespread than we know.”

According to the Flores settlement, minors may not be held in immigration detention for more than 72 hours in most cases, a rule that CBP largely followed for unaccompanied minors, but less so for family units.

CBP did not respond to a request for comment on this story.

In July, 737 minors traveling as part of family units were subject to longer-than-usual detention; 697 were held for three to five days, 39 for more than five days, including 15 who were held more than 14 days.

That’s a sharp increase from June, when 187 minors were held for periods longer than three days, and none for more than 14 days.

Few unaccompanied children were held for long periods. No unaccompanied minors were held longer than three days in June, and five were held in July, including only one minor held more than 14 days.

“When the 72-hour limit is surpassed, it is almost always due to special circumstances, such as a child initially reporting that they are over 18 years old or for a protracted medical issue,” wrote Wise.

“Children in families, however, are routinely held for more than 72 hours.”

Wise cited site visits to the Donna Facility in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, a temporary holding facility run by CBP, where investigators found that some children had been separated from their parents.

The separated children included young boys separated from fathers and young girls from mothers, an apparent violation of the terms of the Flores settlement.

However, the report noted that some family separations are routine, for instance placing older teenage boys among other boys, rather than in family holding facilities.

“This is done so that teenage boys are not held in the same pods with large numbers of what are often, very young women,” wrote Wise.

Children can also be separated from their parents if officials believe the parents are a risk to the welfare of the children.

Those exceptions are not clearly delineated in the settlement, and medical professionals such as Wise say forced family separation comes with intrinsic risks.

“The essential context for these Settlement provisions and their legal assessment is the fundamental understanding that hold a child separately while in custody is bad for children. Separating a child from a parent can be profoundly traumatic for children and can have lasting, harmful effects,” he wrote.

The report’s recommendation on the issue was simply to stop separating children younger than 16 from their parents, or at the very least inform children, parents and caretakers of family visitation rights.

Advocates say the practice has to end.

“There is simply no justification for routinely separating children from their parents at the border. If ‘overcrowding’ is truly CBP’s concern, the agency should take action to quickly process and release families together,” said Molina.

“Children seeking safety at our border require the highest standards of care. The Biden Administration must immediately address these concerns, rather than repeating the harm of the past.”

But, Wise noted, family separations while in detention under the Biden administration different from the Trump administration’s short-lived “zero tolerance” policy, which extended beyond detention.

“The separations observed in the [Rio Grande Valley] pertained only to the families’ time in custody, as parents and children were reunited upon their release from custody,” wrote Wise.

“These separations in custody, therefore, should be distinguished from the family separations associated with the ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy in 2018 in which children were separated from parents at apprehension and ultimately transferred to the Office of Refugee Resettlement, [Health and Human Services], as [Unaccompanied Children].”

Politics

Netanyahu’s UN Speech Triggers Diplomatic Walkouts and Mass Protests

Published

3 weeks ago

October 1, 2025

Bolanle Media Staff

What Happened at the United Nations

On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, defending Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza. As he spoke, more than 100 delegates from over 50 countries stood up and left the chamber—a rare and significant diplomatic walkout. Outside the UN, thousands of protesters gathered to voice opposition to Netanyahu’s policies and call for accountability, including some who labeled him a war criminal. The protest included activists from Palestinian and Jewish groups, along with international allies.

Why Did Delegates and Protesters Walk Out?

The walkouts and protests were a response to Israel’s continued offensive in Gaza, which has resulted in widespread destruction and a significant humanitarian crisis. Many countries and individuals have accused Israel of excessive use of force, and some international prosecutors have suggested Netanyahu should face investigation by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, including claims that starvation was used as a weapon against civilians. At the same time, a record number of nations—over 150—recently recognized the State of Palestine, leaving the United States as the only permanent UN Security Council member not to join them.

International Reaction and Significance

The diplomatic walkouts and street protests demonstrate increasing global concern over the situation in Gaza and growing support for Palestinian statehood. Several world leaders, including Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, showed visible solidarity with protesters. Petro called for international intervention and, controversially, for US troops not to follow orders he viewed as supporting ongoing conflict. The US later revoked Petro’s visa over his role in the protests, which he argued was evidence of a declining respect for international law.

BILATERAL MEETING WITH THE PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL Photo credit: Matty STERN/U.S. Embassy Jerusalem

Why Is This News Important?

The Gaza conflict is one of the world’s most contentious and closely-watched issues. It has drawn strong feelings and differing opinions from governments, activists, and ordinary people worldwide. The United Nations, as an international organization focused on peace and human rights, is a key arena for these debates. The events surrounding Netanyahu’s speech show that many nations and voices are urging new action—from recognition of Palestinian rights to calls for sanctions against Israel—while discussion and disagreement over the best path forward continue.

This episode at the UN highlights how international diplomacy, public protests, and official policy are all intersecting in real time as the search for solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains urgent and unresolved.

News

Is a Nuclear-Powered Alien Spacecraft Flying Toward Earth?

Published

2 months ago

August 26, 2025

Bolanle Media Staff

A mysterious interstellar object speeding through our solar system has reignited debates about extraterrestrial technology — and whether Earth might currently be under quiet observation.

The object, known as 3I/ATLAS, is only the third confirmed interstellar visitor ever detected. Unlike ordinary comets, however, this cosmic traveler has baffled astronomers with its unusual brightness, strange trajectory, and lack of a visible cometary tail. While most scientists cautiously describe it as a natural body, one leading astrophysicist believes something much stranger is at play.

Harvard Scientist’s Bold Claim

Professor Avi Loeb of Harvard University, head of the Galileo Project, has suggested that 3I/ATLAS may in fact be a nuclear-powered alien spacecraft designed to test how humanity would respond to an interstellar visitor. He argues that its flight path is improbably precise, bringing it close to Mars, Venus, and Earth — a pattern highly unlikely to occur by chance.

Loeb also points out that telescope images show a glow inconsistent with ordinary dust behavior. Instead of trailing behind like a comet, the halo-like light appears to extend in unusual ways, sparking debate about whether the object could be emitting energy of its own.

Headed Toward Earth’s Neighborhood

3I/ATLAS is expected to make its closest approach in late 2025, passing near Mars before swinging by the inner solar system. Although Earth itself will be on the opposite side of the Sun when it comes closest, the alignment will still enable space-based observatories to capture sharper data.

Loeb has called on NASA and other agencies to use spacecraft already stationed near Mars or Jupiter — including the Juno mission — to take high-resolution photographs. He believes such efforts could reveal whether the interstellar object is truly natural, or the first technological probe humanity has ever encountered.

Should We Be Worried?

While most astronomers argue caution before jumping to alien conclusions, Loeb insists that scientific openness is key. “If it’s just a comet, we learn something new,” he said. “But if it’s a spacecraft, it would be the most important discovery in human history.”

For now, 3I/ATLAS remains a mysterious speck on astronomers’ charts, drifting closer with each passing day. Whether it proves to be a frozen remnant of another star system or something far more advanced, the interstellar visitor has already succeeded in one mission: reminding us how vast and unpredictable the universe really is.

News

AI Automation Could Cause Up to 20% Unemployment—A Workforce on the Brink

Published

2 months ago

August 20, 2025

Bolanle Media Staff

Stark Warning from Anthropic CEO Highlights Rapid Job Displacement Risk

The looming threat of widespread unemployment due to AI automation has sparked intense debate among experts, business leaders, and policymakers. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic—the company behind the influential AI language model Claude—issued a stark warning that has sent shockwaves through corporate America:

“Up to half of all entry-level white collar jobs could disappear within the next one to five years, potentially pushing unemployment rates as high as 20% during this period.”

This dramatic forecast paints a picture of a rapid and unsettling transformation in the workforce, driven by AI technologies that can perform complex cognitive tasks.

Balancing Predictions: Worst-Case Scenarios vs. Moderate Impact

However, this forecast represents one end of a spectrum of expert predictions. While Amodei’s warning highlights the worst-case scenario driven by the swift adoption of AI agents capable of coding, analyzing data, drafting legal documents, and managing workflows around the clock, other analyses suggest a more moderate impact. For example, Goldman Sachs estimates that AI could temporarily displace about 6-7% of U.S. jobs, with unemployment rising by approximately half a percentage point during the adjustment period. Their research anticipates a more gradual transition with a mixture of job disruption and creation.

The Unprecedented Speed and Scope of AI-Driven Job Disruption

The truth likely lies somewhere in between. AI is advancing at unprecedented speed, and the scope of jobs affected spans far beyond blue-collar roles to white-collar positions that required college degrees and years of training. Entry-level roles such as customer service representatives, data entry clerks, junior analysts, and administrative assistants face the greatest near-term risk. Mid-level roles in accounting, marketing, law, and engineering could soon follow, with companies already laying off workers citing AI-driven efficiencies.

Preparing for an AI-Transformed Workforce: Adaptation Is Essential

Ultimately, the AI-driven job transformation is no longer a distant prospect but unfolding now. Whether unemployment spikes to 20% or stabilizes at lower levels depends on many factors, including business adoption rates, government policies, and the ability of workers to reskill. What is certain is that the workforce of tomorrow will look very different from today—and the time to prepare is right now.