Amid outrage, Homeland Security chief Kirstjen Nielsen 'will not apologize' for separating families
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen says officials will not apologize for enforcing immigration laws that result in the separation of children from their parents. (June 18) AP
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Monday defended her department's policies amid increasingly intense scrutiny over separating children from adults accused of illegally crossing the border.
Nielsen, in a speech to the National Sheriffs’ Association in New Orleans, said the children are provided food, medical attention, education and anything else they might need.
"We have to do our job. We will not apologize for doing our job," she said. "This administration has a simple message — If you cross the border illegally, we will prosecute you."
Nielsen spoke hours after taking to Twitter to vehemently deny that her department's border policy dictates separation of children from their parents.
"We do not have a policy of separating families at the border. Period," Nielsen tweeted late Sunday. "For those seeking asylum at ports of entry, we have continued the policy from previous administrations and will only separate if the child is in danger, there is no custodial relationship between 'family' members, or if the adult has broken a law."
Nielsen stressed that families seeking asylum at border entries are not breaking the law.
"As I have said many times before, if you are seeking asylum for your family, there is no reason to break the law and illegally cross between ports of entry," she tweeted.
A new policy, unveiled by Attorney General Jeff Sessions in April, calls for "zero-tolerance" for immigrants who illegally enter the U.S. along the Mexican border. Sessions warned that violators would be met with "the full prosecutorial powers of the Department of Justice."
Through the end of May, almost 2,000 children were separated from adults who said they were their parents or guardians, the department said last week
Sessions also defended the Trump administration policy at the sheriff's event. He said the number of immigrants crossing with children increased sharply during the Obama administration.
“This cannot continue,” Sessions said. “We do not want to separate children from their parents. We do not want adults to bring children into this country unlawfully, placing them at risk.
But he said the administration must prosecute adults who "flout our laws" to come here illegally instead of waiting their turn or claiming asylum at any port of entry.
"We cannot and will not encourage people to bring children by giving them blanket immunity from our laws," he said. "If we build the wall, if we pass legislation to end the lawlessness, we won’t face these terrible choices. We will have a system where those who need to apply for asylum can do so and those who want to come to this country will apply legally,” he said.
Republicans were tentatively planning to offer two bills this week in Congress, one that would sharply curtail legal immigration and a compromise measure, as yet not revealed, that could draw criticism from conservatives. President Trump on Monday tweeted a challenge to Democrats, saying they should back GOP immigration bills aimed at fixing "the world's worst immigration laws.
"Where is the outcry for the killings and crime being caused by gangs and thugs, including MS-13, coming into our country illegally?" he added.
Trump cited Europe, and particularly Germany, for the "big mistake" of accepting millions of Middle Eastern refugees in recent years.
"The people of Germany are turning against their leadership as migration is rocking the already tenuous Berlin coalition. Crime in Germany is way up," Trump tweeted. "We don’t want what is happening with immigration in Europe to happen with us!"
But controversy over DHS treatment of families continues to heat up. Former first lady Laura Bush said that as a resident of a border state, she appreciates the need to protect the nation's boundaries.
"But this zero-tolerance policy is cruel. It is immoral," Bush tweeted. "And it breaks my heart."
Earlier, first lady Melania Trump also weighed in through her communications director Stephanie Grisham. Melania Trump, Grisham told CNN on Sunday, "believes we need to be a country that follows all laws, but also a country that governs with heart."
The policy has drawn global fury, with U.N. human rights chief, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, on Monday urging the U.S. to halt the “unconscionable” policy.
Some Republicans have split with the administration on the issue. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said the policy is "inconsistent with our American values," adding that "we need to fix our immigration laws, but using children is not the answer."
Even from some of Trump's strongest supporters have panned the policy. Evangelist Franklin Graham, son of legendary evangelist Billy Graham, last week described the splitting up of families as "disgraceful."
“It’s terrible to see families ripped apart and I don’t support that one bit,” Graham told the Christian Broadcasting Network.
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Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen says officials will not apologize for enforcing immigration laws that result in the separation of children from their parents
An apology is not required, ending an indecent practice is.
"Our message, absolutely, is don't send your children unaccompanied, on trains or through a bunch of smugglers," the president said when challenged about whether he's been resolute enough in discouraging such reckless illegal immigration. "We don't even know how many of these kids don't make it, and may have been waylaid into sex trafficking or killed because they fell off a train." .....Barak Obama
"Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen says officials will not apologize for enforcing immigration laws that result in the separation of children from their parents."
GOOD !
Are the "Illegal" Adults Reeeeeeally the parents ?
A good percentage are not the real parents. Lots of them are drug runners, sex traffickers, and gang members.
BULLSHIT.
Really ?
Viable Link, Viable Report, anything showing that's the case you spouted ?
Deleted, no value {SP}
NOPE !
A Blatant COC Violation deserved more than a "Spell Check" change....from what I understand, that is.
Sooooo…..if I do "Your Thing" (5.1.7) .....you are gonna tell ?
Here ya go, it's just the audio but, that was all they were able to smuggle out of the Trump concentration camp.
Based on what evidence?
Still doesn't prove the "Adults" that dragged them into the desert were their parents.
Funny...... NO U.S. citizen has this type of outcry when a U.S. citizen breaks the law and is separated from their children.
Kinda makes you wonder why Non-Citizens are sooooooo important to Liberal/Progressive types.
Tessylo and It Is Me.....
As you know, I would love for both of you to be able to comment and maybe accomplish something in this discussion, but put a little more attention on the issue instead of each other, please.
I'm always game !
It does take 2 though.
Of course. What's already here is the same number. Gotta get one some NEW numbers !
Opinion vs fact. Even though we may be able to provide links, as we know how many of them can you really depend on to not just be opinions? But at least we'll be a little closer with links to discussing the situations a little more intelligently.
"Opinion" rules on this matter. That's 98% of what we've been fed by MSM. We only get a few snippets of chopped up responses of those actually on the ground running the show.
If you trust a CNN report that shows the number of reported cases in human trafficking across the border have risen steadily, and are under reported.
There is a legal protocol to determine that … and Trump/Sessions intentionally abandoned that and implemented the current, inhumane POLICY (not law, not approved by Congress or Democrats), AND LIED ABOUT IT NUMEROUS TIMES!
How does one "Abandoned" something that truly doesn't exist as a "Finite" law ?
Based on that...."Illegal" Immigration has always just been a kneejerk reaction based on circumstances alone ?
A "Just because" ?
Sounds to me that Trump is right ! WE HAVE AN "ILLEGAL" IMMIGRATION PROBLEM !
By, as I stated, UNILATERALLY and ARBITRARILY ABROGATING THAT LAW!
The two ways of obtaining asylum in the United States are through the affirmative process and defensive process.
Affirmative Asylum Processing With USCIS
To obtain asylum through the affirmative asylum process you must be physically present in the United States. You may apply for asylum status regardless of how you arrived in the United States or your current immigration status.
You must apply for asylum within one year of the date of their last arrival in the United States, unless you can show:
You may apply for affirmative asylum by submitting Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, to USCIS. See Form I 589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal for instructions on how to file for asylum,.
If your case is not approved and you do not have a legal immigration status, we will issue a Form I-862, Notice to Appear, and forward (or refer) your case to an Immigration Judge at the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). The Immigration Judge conducts a ‘de novo’ hearing of the case. This means that the judge conducts a new hearing and issues a decision that is independent of the decision made by USCIS. If we do not have jurisdiction over your case, the Asylum Office will issue an I-863, Notice of Referral to Immigration Judge, for an asylum-only hearing. See ‘Defensive Asylum Processing With EOIR’ below if this situation applies to you.
Affirmative asylum applicants are rarely detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). You may live in the United States while your application is pending before USCIS. If you are found ineligible, you can remain in the United States while your application is pending with the Immigration Judge. Most asylum applicants are not authorized to work.
Please see the The Affirmative Asylum Process for step-by-step information.
Defensive Asylum Processing with EOIR
A defensive application for asylum occurs when you request asylum as a defense against removal from the U.S. For asylum processing to be defensive, you must be in removal proceedings in immigration court with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR).
Individuals are generally placed into defensive asylum processing in one of two ways:·
OR
Immigration Judges hear defensive asylum cases in adversarial (courtroom-like) proceedings. The judge will hear arguments from both of the following parties:
The Immigration Judge then decides whether the individual is eligible for asylum. If found eligible, the Immigration Judge will order asylum to be granted. If found ineligible for asylum, the Immigration Judge will determine whether the individual is eligible for any other forms of relief from removal. If found ineligible for other forms of relief, the Immigration Judge will order the individual to be removed from the United States. The Immigration Judge’s decision can be appealed by either party.
Trump is stopping catch and release.
"They are referred to an Immigration Judge by USCIS"
He also said he is not going to start hiring thousands of judges. It doesn't solve the problem .
Deportation
Deportation is the formal removal of a foreign national from the U.S. for violating an immigration law.
The Deportation Process
The United States may deport foreign nationals who participate in criminal acts, are a threat to public safety, or violate their visa.
Those who come to the U.S. without travel documents or with forged documents may be deported quickly without an immigration court hearing under an order of expedited removal (PDF, Download Adobe Reader).
Others may go before a judge in a longer deportation (removal) process.
The foreign national may be held in a detention center prior to trial or deportation. See a map of ICE detention facilities or use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System.
An Immigration Court of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) hears the related case.
If a judge rules that the deportation proceeds, the receiving country of the person being deported must agree to accept them and issue travel documents before the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carries out a removal order.
The majority of removals are carried out by air at U.S. government expense, although some removals may use a combination of air and ground transportation. Learn more about the removal of deported foreign nationals by air.
Criminal aliens who have committed nonviolent crimes may be subject to Rapid REPAT.
Nielsen can not apologize. Conservatism has no memory, honor or soul.
So what would you do, bbl and what would be the consequences of such action or repercussions?
In all honesty. I would vet the immigrants carefully and allow those deserving to become citizens if they desire.
I would also vet the Trumpers and force those undeserving to...………….leave. As to where, that would depend upon anyplace that would accept them.
Listen, I have to go, but will keep an eye on this article. Think of things you would suggest to do about our problems with illegal immigration, not just this one aspect of the problem.
Please act like adults and keep it civil.
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