Democrats blasted the White House on Tuesday for reportedly considering reinstating a policy that would detain migrant families who cross the U.S. border illegally.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that she would not comment on a New York Times report that the administration was considering reviving a family detention policy, adding, “I’m not saying it’s being considered. … I’m not saying it is not.”
Democrats have sounded the alarm over the idea, demanding the White House not reimplement the policy that former President Donald Trump enacted, which Biden ended when he took office.
“I am disgusted and disappointed that our nation would ever consider reinstating a program that has been proven to cause harmful, long-term effects on migrant families, especially children, who have been forced to flee their home nations in search of freedom, safety, and democracy,” said Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Fla.).
“We abandoned this family detention program for a reason – it is a failed policy that is incapable of offering humanity and compassion to migrants when they need it most,” he added.
“Locking immigrant families and children into cages along the border is dangerous, ineffective, and wrong,” tweeted Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas). “The Biden Administration did the right thing by ending family detention. We can’t go back.”
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) called the idea a “grave mistake.”
“Instead of relying on costly failed policies that traumatize migrants and cruelly encourage more families to separate, we must focus on building a safe and humane immigration system,” he tweeted.
“Family detention serves two purposes: lining the pockets of private prison companies and acting as a useless deterrent to prevent migrants from seeking their legal right to asylum. This failed policy is callous and inhumane,” said Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) in a statement.
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