Families, not facilities

When it comes to immigration, the Trump administration has stoked fear and bigotry and doubled down on its shameful treatment of children and families.

Kids in cages, and held there indefinitely.

To make matters worse, the administration arrested and deported family members and others who stepped forward to care for unaccompanied migrant children, and give them a safe and loving home. If that sounds like "using child refugees as bait," then you're reading it right.

It's depraved. It's sickening. And it's being done in our name.

The safety and welfare of these kids must be the priority – not the Donald Trump/Stephen Miller white nationalist immigration policy, and not scoring political points. That's why Senator Kamala Harris and I introduced the "Families Not Facilities Act."

Our legislation would prohibit ICE from using information collected by Health and Human Services to target family members and other caregivers who come forward to care for unaccompanied migrant children.

Our bill also shifts ICE enforcement funds to programs that provide social and legal services and help ensure children and child migrants get the care they need.

Kirstjen Nielsen resigned on Sunday, but all signs point to it's because she wasn't extreme enough. Unfortunately, that likely means the mistreatment of children at the border is going to get even worse.

Holding children in detention centers violates everything our country stands for. History will judge us harshly for that assault on humanitarian values.

America needs leaders who will do everything in their power to protect children and place them with families where they feel safe and cared for. I'll never stop fighting for decency, compassion, and the rule of law, and I will always step up to defend our most vulnerable against Trump's attacks.

Ron