Timing is everything, in life and on Facebook.
Two State Department employees found that out on Tuesday when they held a Facebook live chat on family travel ― at a time when thousands of migrant children are being separated from their parents and placed in detention camps under a “zero tolerance” policy from the Trump administration.
The two employees, Kim and Carl ― no last names, we’re all friends here, right? ― wanted to focus on Americans looking for information on traveling abroad.
They tried to stick to that subject during the live chat, answering questions like “How do I take a passport photo of my baby?” But a lot of commenters had more, let’s say, topical questions.
A sampling:
- “What tips do you have to beat the heat for toddlers imprisoned in a concentration camp in Texas in 100+ degree heat? And what type of baby pajamas will go best with a tin foil blanket?”
- “Awww it’s so fun to fly with your kids. Your kids who are safe and sound and not locked away in a cage away from anyone and anything they’ve ever known.”
- “What is the process for getting my children back once the US Government has separated them from me and incarcerated them?”
- “How should I expect the ID number to be given to visiting family members? Tattoos on the forearm or just written illegibly with a big Sharpie?”
- “How can I be sure my child’s skin is white enough for the government not to steal him from me when I attempt to return to the United States?”
Kim and Carl didn’t answer any of these questions. But they appeared visibly rattled at some points during the live chat ― enough so that one woman offered a bit of sympathy and a suggestion of her own.
“No, it is not too early in the day for you to go out and have a few drinks when you are done with this,” she wrote.
You can see the complete chat below.
Before You Go
