Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

A parent will do anything for his or her child and anything to make the child's life easier. We live in a grossly unfair world in which wealth is sucked like a magnet to the top and the eight men control the same amount of wealth as 3.5 billion people. People from countries that are ravaged by poverty and war will, just like us, do anything for their children. They will take huge risks such as crossing a border into the United States or they will cross the Mediterranean Sea in a dinghy in the dark. People who are unlucky enough to be born into parts of the world ravaged by imperialism now face the absolute barbarism such as that exemplified by Trump and his approach to migrants. They face tactics reminiscent of those practised under fascism. A parent's biggest fear is to be separated from his or her child. Imagine the terror of separation of a child locked in a cage in a gulag, exposed to all sorts of physical, sexual and other abuse.

The Government must decide if Ireland will break decisively with Trump on this issue and with unjust immigration policies in general. The Irish establishment is already part of an EU bloc that is silent on the issue of the plundering resources in the Third World and then turning away its victims through a fortress Europe policy.

Ireland operates a system of direct provision. While the effect is not the same as the US system, the intent is the same, namely, to discourage migrants from seeking a better life in Ireland. These are the new policies of capitalism.

Trump's terror campaign against migrants was signalled at the beginning of his election campaign. These are not un-American values; they are written into the history of America with the Trail of Tears, the actions against Native Americans and slavery. It is not as if children have not been separated from parents before this.

On his election, Donald Trump made it clear that undocumented immigrants would be a key target. He used lies against Mexicans and stirred up a climate of terror against many of the undocumented Irish in the US. While there were deportations under Presidents Bush and Obama, these recent actions have raised the terror a notch.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is hugely feared in the United States. Immigration is obviously essential to capitalism in driving down wages and conditions for all workers and immigration is vital to divide workers. Under Trump, however, racism is being stirred up, encouraged and brought out into the open from under rocks. Only slightly more disturbing than seeing children mistreated in this way was to read some of the comments posted on Facebook under pictures of some of these children in cages. I will read some of them in order that we can realise the effect of Trump and what he has brought out in the US. These comments are by some racist people in the US who feel emboldened to come out. Under a picture of a child in a cage one comment says, "I want to order one to do laundry". Another commented, "I will give you 50 bucks for it, can it paint a living room?" I could go on.

If a Rubicon has been crossed, even by Trump, a debate on the issue in the Dáil is very welcome. It is welcome that we are passing a motion condemning his actions but it must go further. Ireland should immediately withdraw any invitation to Trump to visit this State. If the Taoiseach proceeds with the invitation, it will not be in our name. The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade should also bear those comments in mind if any consideration is being given to visiting the US for another bowl of shamrock next St. Patrick's Day. I appeal to ordinary people to join the protests tomorrow outside the US embassy. There will be one at 4 p.m., called by Amnesty International, and another at 5 p.m., called by United Against Racism.

I would send all of our encouragement and solidarity to the ordinary people of all colours in America who have taken action against Trump, for example, when he enforced a Muslim travel ban. I encourage them to do the same in respect of this horrific policy.

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