Press Releases

Today, Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24) and 190 House Democrats introduced the Keep Families Together Act, H.R. 6135, to stop the Trump Administration from separating immigrant children from their families at the border as a result of their ‘zero tolerance’ policy. This is the House companion to the legislation introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) earlier this month.

H.R. 6135 promotes family unity by prohibiting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials from separating children from their parents, except in extraordinary circumstances. This bill restricts the prosecution of parents who are asylum seekers, by adopting the recommendation of the DHS Office of Inspector General. It also requires that an independent child welfare official review any separation and return the child without harm.

“We should all be outraged by this Administration’s inhumane actions,” said Carbajal. “The President has the power to halt the cruel separation of families with one phone call, but he shamefully refuses to act. That’s why I’m supporting the Keep Families Together Act, to prohibit Homeland Security officials from needlessly separating children from their parents, unless it is in the child’s best interest.”

Last month, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Trump Administration will be separating parents from children who try to enter the United States seeking asylum or refuge. He announced that adults will be sent to federal court and children will be sent to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement. Over the past six weeks, the U.S. Department of Homeland security confirmed the Trump Administration has separated roughly 2,000 children from their families.

Despite President Trump’s and DHS Secretary Nielsen’s public statements, there is no U.S. law requiring the separation of children from their families for seeking asylum in the United States.

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