Congressman Krishnamoorthi on Trump Administration’s Family Separation and Detention Policy: “A Mockery of American Values”

CHICAGO, IL – The Trump administration's ongoing policy of family separation and internment has led thousands of families to be held in detention facilities across the United States. Today, Congressman Krishnamoorthi visited such a facility today and he issued the following statement:

"As an immigrant brought to our country at just 3 months old, I can't help but think that if the Trump administration's policies had been in place back them, and immigration authorities had thought my parents' papers weren't in order, I could have been taken from them without any certainty that we would ever see each other again. Today, that's the reality facing more than 700 children who have not been reunited with their families. This is a mockery of American values.

As family reunifications have begun, the administration continues to deliberately obscure the scale of the problem through hiding behind opaque statistics that mask the scale of the crisis and the work needed to end it. We must return these children to their families and that will not be possible without transparency.

The Trump administration's failure to uphold the ideals of our country has extended to its treatment of families held in detention. Reports of abusive, dangerous conditions in such facilities have been rampant. While it is true that certain facilities adhere to high standards of care and treatment for those held in detention, the Trump administration's indifference has forced Members of the House and Senate to personally visit facilities to see to the safety of these families.

The Trump policy must immediately restore these children to their parents and the policies of our government to the standards demanded by the American people. And Congress must hold the administration and all officials who endorsed this policy accountable for their actions."