Hillary Clinton and Rosalynn Carter joined fellow former first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush Monday in condemning the White House’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy that is separating children from their parents.
“This is not happening because of the ‘Democrats’ law,’ as the White House has claimed,” the ex-secretary of state said at an awards luncheon for the Women’s Forum of New York at The Plaza hotel.
“Separating families is not mandated by law at all. That is an outright lie, and it is incumbent on all of us, journalists and citizens alike, to call it just that.”
Carter weighed in later Monday.
“The practice and policy today of removing children from their parents’ care at our border with Mexico is disgraceful and a shame to our country,” she said in a statement.
Earlier Monday, Michelle Obama supported a Washington Post piece written by fellow former first lady Laura Bush that called the policy “cruel” and “immoral.”
“Sometimes truth transcends party,” Obama tweeted.
In her speech at The Plaza, Clinton also called out Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who last week invoked Romans 13 to justify the harsh immigration policy.
“Those who selectively use the Bible to justify this cruelty are ignoring a central tenet of Christianity,” said Clinton, who was receiving an award from the forum.
“What is being done using the name of religion is contrary to everything I have ever been taught. Jesus said, ‘Suffer the little children unto me.’ He did not say, ‘Let the children suffer.’ ”
First lady Melania Trump also spoke out against the policy Sunday.
“Mrs. Trump hates to see children separated from their families and hopes both sides of the aisle can finally come together to achieve successful immigration reform,” her office said in a statement issued by spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham. “She believes we need to be a country that follows all laws, but also a country that governs with heart.”