Melania Trump ‘hates’ to see migrant children separated from parents at border

Democratic lawmakers vowed on Sunday to end the “evil” separation of migrant children from their parents when they are apprehended at the US border, as First Lady Melania Trump made a rare political plea to end the deeply controversial practice.

The “zero-tolerance” border security policy implemented by her husband President Donald Trump’s administration has sparked outrage on both sides of the political aisle and took on particular resonance as America celebrated Father’s Day.

Trump has said he wants the separations to end, but continues to blame opposition Democrats for the crisis, which critics say is one of his own making. The Democrats control none of the three branches of the US government.

The president’s wife, who seldom wades into the political arena, opted to call for bipartisan immigration reform to fix the issue, rather than denounce the policy.

“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 spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham told CNN.

“She believes we need to be a country that follows all laws, but also a country that governs with heart.”