News anchor breaks down while reporting story on infants being ‘detained’ at US-Mexico border

Since the Trump administration's "zero tolerance policy" was announced in May, more than 2,000 children have been separated from their parents and left in camps at the border.

By: Express Web Desk | New Delhi | Published: June 20, 2018 1:49:10 pm

News anchor breaks down while reporting story on infants being 'detained' at US-Mexico border

MSNBC political commentator Rachel Maddow breaks down while reporting a story on infants being separated from their parents at US-Mexico border. (Source: YouTube)

A news anchor on Monday broke down while trying to read an exclusive report on infants and toddlers being forcibly separated from their parents at the US border with Mexico and sent to “tender age” shelters in South Texas. MSNBC political commentator Rachel Maddow, who hosts “The Rachel Maddow Show”, had barely read a few words of The Associated Press‘ story when she began crying. Unable to continue, Maddow is heard apologising and saying, “think I’m going to have to hand this off” before ending her show.

The Trump administration’s recent crackdown on illegal immigrants at the border has drawn a lot of criticism. Since its “zero tolerance policy” was announced in May, more than 2,000 children have been separated from their parents and left in camps at the border. Images of distressed children, many of whom are held in cages, have been released.

According to Maddow, an average of 46 migrant children were separated from the parents in May. This month, in June, the number has risen to 67 children a day.

According to AP’s report, lawyers and doctors who have visited the children describe “play rooms of crying preschool-age children in crisis”. Experts who were quoted by the news agency describe it being similar to “detainment” or an “institutional setting” for toddlers. Apart from the three facilities — in Combes, Raymondville and Brownsville — the government plans to open a fourth shelter in Houston.

Also read | Why 2,000 children were separated from their parents at the US border

Taking to Twitter after her show, Maddow apologised again. She said, “Ugh, I’m sorry. If nothing else, it is my job to actually be able to speak while I’m on TV. What I was trying to do — when I suddenly couldn’t say/do anything — was read this lede,” before quoting from the report.

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