Parents plan hunger strike against family separations

A  federal judge gave credit to the Trump administration for reunifying 1,800  families separated at the U.S.- Mexico border by the court imposed deadline of Thursday. But he faulted it for leaving hundreds of families still apart. In response, a small group of East Bay parents plan to hold a hunger strike to protest the separations. 

Xochitl Oseguera, a Berkeley mother, showed KTVU a large puppet she plans to wear during the hunger strike on Monday in front of the Oakland Federal Building. 

It's a symbol of a mother and child. She says no family should be forcibly separated.

"It makes me very angry. It makes me very upset and every mother I know has cried for months," said Oseguera. 

Mothers and fathers in the East Bay plan to participate in what they call a rolling hunger strike that starts in Oakland, followed by Sacramento and other cities across the country.  

"Partly, it was inspired by the mothers who are doing a rolling hunger strike inside the detention facilities just to talk to their kids," said Carolyn Norr with Families Belong Together East Bay.

On Friday, a federal judge said the government gets credit for reunifying 1800 children, five and over, with their parents by the court imposed Thursday deadline.

But the judge also criticized the Trump administration for the 431 children still not reunited.

"I'm very disappointed in this government right now, very disappointed in the decisions that are being made and how they affect people overall. I  just think we can do better than that," said Rabia Keeble with Interfaith for Black Lives.  

These protestors say the hunger strikes will continue until all migrant families are back together.

"Kind of spiritually embody or feel and do something that keeps the pressure on.  The pressure is on for those families.  Each day matters. Each hour matters," said Norr.

The hunger strike is scheduled to start  in front of the Oakland federal building Monday at 8 a.m. and will last until Wednesday evening. 

The core group of hunger strikers will be small, but organizers say they expect about 100  people over the three days.  

Organizers are encouraging people to stop by and support them.