As hundreds of families continue to remain apart due to the Trump administration’s family separation policy, the President was unapologetic Sunday, saying “there are consequences” for people who cross the border illegally, “whether they have children or not.”
Please understand, there are consequences when people cross our Border illegally, whether they have children or not – and many are just using children for their own sinister purposes. Congress must act on fixing the DUMBEST & WORST immigration laws anywhere in the world! Vote “R”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2018
The government has failed to reunite hundreds of asylum-seeking and migrant families who were separated at the border as a result of the Trump administration’s family separation policy, with Justice Department lawyers arguing in court that many are ineligible to ever be reunited with their children on U.S. soil.
Seeking asylum, even while crossing the border illegally between ports of entry, is not illegal. And border officers, advocates say, have often refused asylum-seekers at ports of entry.
Hundreds of parents have been deported without their children, many seemingly without fully understanding what was happening.
“The government is at fault for losing several hundred parents in the process and that’s where we go next,” U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw said this week.
U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee separately appointed an independent monitor to force the Trump administration to comply with safety standards for children held in detention.
Trump added Sunday that he would be willing to shut down the government if Democrats in Congress didn’t offer “votes for Border Security,” which he defined as more funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border (for which the White House has long stopped asserting the Mexican government will pay), the elimination of the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, and other items.
I would be willing to “shut down” government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2018