FAIRBANKS — Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski today spoke out against the separation of families in immigration detention centers, terming the practice “cruel” and calling on the Trump administration to immediately halt the practice.
“The time is now for the White House to end the cruel, tragic separations of families,” Murkowski said. “The thousands of children taken from their parents and families must be reunited as quickly as possible and be treated humanely while immigration proceedings are pending.”
Murkowski said she was troubled that those seeking entry to the country are being turned away before they even have the opportunity to file paperwork.
“While I have said that this is a policy discussion that needs to be had, in my view, we should not have a policy designed to separate families, particularly mothers with young children, without a clear process and focus on the needs of the children,” Murkowski said.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly placed blame on Democratic members of Congress, saying it was a Democratic led policy that is allowing this separation of families, a move Murkowski condemned in her statement.
“To blame previous administrations for a wrong committed today is not acceptable,” Murkowski said. “The Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security should make the call today. If the administration does not fix this and fast, we in Congress must.”
Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan echoed Murkowski’s sentiments regarding the separation of families, but noted that immigration is a “complicated issue” and the policies of past administrations need to be addressed before they further contribute to the problem.
“First and foremost, no one wants to separate children from parents. It’s heartbreaking. The default position for our government should be to keep families together whenever possible — emphasizing the safety of the children,” Sullivan said. “Nevertheless, this is a complicated issue that needs a bipartisan approach to keep kids with their parents, while at the same time ending the catch and release policy of the previous administration that encouraged further illegal immigration, and worse, trafficking of children.”
Sullivan added that in the future, immigration proceedings should be able to be conducted more rapidly and without splitting up families.
“This will require more funding for resources like additional immigration judges, as well as new facilities, so that parents and kids can stay together,” Sullivan said. “We are a country of laws, but also a country of values and humanity. Finding the right balance is key, and I’ll work hard with my colleagues to do that.”
Young could not be reached for direct comment but a spokesperson for the congressman said he is “sympathetic to the separation of families and committed to ensuring humane treatment of families that are in the process” and “believes it is possible to implement successful border security and enforce our laws while keeping families together.”
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