Miami Republicans Condemn Separation of Undocumented Families
Migration issues continue to flood the news. Miami-Dade Republican lawmakers last Monday condemned President Donald Trump's government's decision to separate families of undocumented immigrants crossing the border to the United States. Adults are sent to detention centers, while their minor children are placed in cages, reported El Nuevo Herald in its website.
"It is totally unacceptable, for no reason, to deliberately separate minor children from their parents", said Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, a Miami Republican who, along with Rep. Carlos Curbelo, also a Republican from Miami, is leading negotiations on a draft law negotiated among Republicans in Congress. "Any other option should be implemented so as not to separate the children from their parents, something that I believe is inadmissible, we can´t allow this to continue happening and we must stop it". I continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that the clause included in the draft this week's law put an end to this cruel practice".
During the weekend, Curbelo said on Twitter that the separation policy is "a tragedy" and mentioned the policy of then President Barack Obama to stop families and children traveling alone. "Although some tolerated it when it happened in the previous government, I considered it unacceptable then and I consider it unacceptable now", Curbelo tweeted. "We are writing a project of and to remedy this sad situation."
The White House announced the policy in April as a way to discourage those entering the country without authorization, and federal government officials have defended the measure in the face of strong criticism from a good part of the country's political spectrum. As for his part, federal Senator Marco Rubio, Republican for Florida, defended changing the laws to allow families to stay together in detention centers. The current law does not require separating families that cross the border illegally, and the negotiated bill includes a clause that ends that practice. "
At this moment, the government frees the parents and maintains the incentive to illegally enter the country with minors, or separates the families by arresting the parents", Rubio tweeted. "Neither is good, let's change the law to allow families to stay together and shorten detention with expedited hearings".
Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican who will run against Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in November, said he does not support the separation but blamed Washington for failing to pass a reform of immigration laws.
"What the country observes at this moment is a consequence of many years of lack of action of both parties and the federal government", Scott said in a statement. “They have failed to secure our borders, which has led to chaos. Let me be clear: I do not support the separation of families. Washington is to blame for this and the solution is to secure the border. Anyone who tries to enter the country illegally must be expelled, with the exception of those who truly request political asylum from an oppressive regime". Carlos López-Cantera, Republican Vice-Governor of Florida, also of Miami, condemned the separations.
The Department of Homeland Security's policy of separating young children from their parents is wrong and should be eliminated immediately, we are a nation of laws but also compassionate", López Cantera tweeted.
