The Trump administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy that has separated nearly 2,000 migrant children from their parents is drawing some big name critics.
Announced in April, the White House policy sees adult migrants prosecuted in criminal court rather than civil court, as has been done in the past. This caused a ripple of legal ramifications including the separating of families because children cannot be held in criminal detention.
Chrissy Teigen and her husband John Legend may have made the biggest splash calling for an end of the mandate with a $288,000 contribution to the American Civil Liberties Union on President Trump's birthday on June 14, but they are far from alone in their criticism.
Ellen DeGeneres urged followers to put aside their political differences: "I don’t care what your politics are, we can’t be a country that separates children from their parents. Do something about this, here."
In a series of tweets, actor and comedian Kumail Nanjiani compared the policy to the Nazi regime. "There are going to be people, many people, who will be able to justify separating children from their families. They'll say the words they need to say to justify it. Forget those people. Those people are hopeless. We have to rally and motivate everyone else. Appeal to humanity"
"We cannot be the good Germans," Nanjiani concluded.
Posting a cartoon painting of Attorney General Jeff Sessions in front of a chain link cage, Jim Carrey reworked the famous Statue of Liberty poem: “Give us your huddled masses yearning to breathe free...and we will lock their children in cages with tin-foil blankets. And scar them for life! You know: The American Dream!”
Using the hashtag #ThisIsAmerica, actress Jessica Chastain linked to a MSNBC documentary exploring the policy and tweeted: "Are we really such monsters?!"
Both Tony-award winning actor Lin-Manuel Miranda and late night host Jimmy Kimmel urged their followers to be active and vocal.
Miranda tweeted his support for Families Belong Together, an organization fighting the immigration policy.
Kimmel tweeted for followers to reach out to their representatives: "1) Call your reps at (202) 224-3121- tell them to END the separation of families at the border (ask your Senators to pass the Keep Families Together Act and your House Rep to pass the HELP Separated Children Act)."
Singer Sarah Bareilles tweeted: "I am so sad and feel so helpless about the families being separated. This is beyond inhumane...I am just appalled. I am grateful for those sharing how to engage and help, thank God for you. The idea that there is anyone who believes this is justice is simply heartbreaking."
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Rapper Common quoted author James Baldwin, whose work was recently adapted into the Academy Award nominated film "I Am Not Your Negro": "“I’m terrified at the moral apathy, the death of the heart which is happening in my country. These people have deluded themselves so long that they really don't think I'm human. And this means that they have become, in themselves, moral monsters” James Baldwin"
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