JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Trump administration policy to force separation of migrant children and parents at the U.S.-Mexico border is facing pushback from Missouri's U.S. senators.
Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in a Monday statement said she'll work to stop what she described as a misguided policy. Republican Sen. Roy Blunt said that separating families doesn't "meet the standard of who we are as a country."
Despite bipartisan criticism, President Donald Trump is digging in and says he would keep the U.S. from becoming "a migrant camp."
McCaskill likely will face off against Republican state Attorney General Josh Hawley in her re-election bid. Hawley didn't directly say whether he supports the administration's policy. But he says nobody wants to see families separated and called on McCaskill and other lawmakers to secure the border.
The full statements are as follows:
Claire McCaskill
“The outrageous notion that children must be ripped from their families to secure the border is as false as it is cruel. As the Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee, I will be working to stop the Administration’s misguided policy. The idea that this policy is being used for deterrence and Congressional leverage is offensive. I need answers from DHS concerning the care of these children and their failure to even reunite children before they fly their parents out of the country.”
Roy Blunt
“We clearly have a border security problem. I agree with Mrs. Bush and Mrs. Trump that separating families does not meet the standard of who we are as a country. Strengthening our border security and upholding our laws in a manner consistent with our values will help facilitate progress toward addressing all aspects of our broken immigration system.”
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