The mandated separation of more than 23,000 migrant children from their families while trying to cross the United States-Mexico Border has caused a joint outcry from citizens, churches, and politicians.
Now Lubbock political leaders have spoken out both in support and against current border security policies, however, all have agreed these children should be reunited with their families during the immigration process.
“These migrants are exercising their rights as human beings to seek safety and opportunity in order to survive,” Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress Texas 19 Miguel Levario said. “Stop demonizing and dehumanizing our brothers and sisters at the border.”
Levario held a press conference Tuesday to announce his stance against the current border patrol policy under the Trump administration.
“United Nations, Amnesty International, former First Lady Laura Bush, and numerous lawmakers have denounced this cruel and ineffective policy.”
In Texas, migrant children are currently being held at one of two detention centers, also known as “tent city”.
“I don’t think anyone would argue that someone couldn’t come here for opportunity but there’s a process,” Texas Republican Senator Charles Perry said. “Legal immigration, I don’t think you’ll have any debate from republican, libertarian or democrat. Legal immigration is what we seek and what we want.”
The ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy was implemented in April and enforced by the Trump administration. It is a federal policy, therefore, Perry said must be reformed, if at all, at a federal level by the act of Congress.
Perry said he disagrees children should be separated from their families, but also argued there is a larger issue at hand when it comes to a federal policy that involves border security.
“We need to look at immigration policy,” Perry said. “We need Congress to step up and provide a statutory relief because it’s going to be the same event over and over. This president is serious about securing our borders.”
In Washington D.C., Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz said he was introducing emergency legislation called “Protest Kids and Parent Act” that would ensure families stay together during immigration cases. It would also double the number of federal immigration judges, and add temporary shelters.
