President Donald Trump

[Hornsby]

Does this not count? http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2018/06/18/c...gether-border/

No, because the post was about a particular bill being pushed in the Senate. Neither Cronyn nor Cruz are signing on board that one, which would seem to be an easy compromise. The Dems would LOVE to have them on board, and everyone would like to get these families back together...

Or just work TOGETHER to get it done.

[Sour Masher]

well if we had a wall they wouldnt get getting in!

Touche. Jokes aside, though, some would. Desperate people will find ways.

[Bernie Brewer]

Every single Democrat is a co-sponsor of the Keep Families Together Act. 49 out of 49...not ONE Republican has signed on.

I'm shocked. So you're saying this is a partisan fight?

I wonder how many Dems will sign on to the two bills quickly being written by the Republicans? Not really, I think we all know that answer!

[Bernie Brewer]

The best balance/tone down the rhetoric thing I can offer is this. First, we shouldn't conflate (1) asylum seekers, and (2) illegal border crossers not presenting themselves at a checkpoint for asylum. Asylum seekers are not breaking any laws and, while the US government can evaluate their application and deny asylum, there is still no basis for separating families seeking asylum, and yet it's happening. That said, my understanding is that the majority of the detentions and family separations are not asylum seekers, but rather border crossers who were apprehended attempting to come into the US unnoticed. (I'm happy to be corrected on that point.) Still, the law does not require that families crossing the border illegally with children be separated from their children. It does, as written, require "unaccompanied minors" to be held in custody less than 20 days. My understanding is that some courts have interpreted/extrapolated that law to also require that "accompanied minors" also be held in custody less than 20 days, and that some are citing this as the justification for removing children from their parents, since the processing and hearings are backlogged beyond 20 days, and they don't want to "release" the adults who crossed illegally, so they remove the minors and place them in foster care or other child protective service driven environments. All of that still ignores the discretion that the administration has around enforcement and prosecution and processing, as well as the discretion to appoint and assign far more immigration judges and expedite processing for families with young children rather than separating the families. But the President has essentially by his words acknowledged that his Administration is exercising their discretion to heavily invest in "catching" border crossers without increasing resources for processing/adjudicating, and that he's banking on the surge in family separations to force the Democrats hands to fund his wall and otherwise get in line behind his immigration policies. These families and these children are being used as political pawns. (And I suppose a Trump supporter would argue that they're being used as pawns by the left to draw outrage against Trump and the GOP, but since this is all a consequence of the Trump administration's deliberate provocations, I'm not incredibly sympathetic to that argument.)

This is a very reasoned post. I do agree that these "families" are being used as pawns, for political purposes, and where I disagree is that both parties should be ashamed of doing that. No doubt this policy is outrageous, as I think its a terrible policy to separate families, but if, as you note, they present (legally) as a family for asylum purposes, they will not be separated. So do the people sneaking across the border (illegally) have proof that these children are theirs or were entrusted to them? If not, then isn't this a huge potential for trafficking?

[Bernie Brewer]

I'm shocked. So you're saying this is a partisan fight?

I wonder how many Dems will sign on to the two bills quickly being written by the Republicans? Not really, I think we all know that answer!

From Twitter @Phil_mattingly

“12 GOP Sens sign onto @senorrinhatch’s letter asking DOJ to freeze it’s “zero tolerance” policy as Hill works to address issue:
Hatch
Sen. Gardner
Sen. Collins
Sen. McCain
Sen. Roberts
Sen. Murkowski
Sen. Corker
Sen. Alexander
Sen. Boozman
Sen. Heller
Sen. Lankford
Sen. Cassidy”


Not one Democrat! TBT, I’m not sure any were even asked to sign, so... I’m just being a bit snarky.

[Hornsby]

I'm shocked. So you're saying this is a partisan fight?

I wonder how many Dems will sign on to the two bills quickly being written by the Republicans? Not really, I think we all know that answer!

All it takes it two Republicans BB, that's all. If the GOP came up with a bill and it needed a few Democrats, I'd be saying the same thing. Some actions need to transcend politics.

And frankly, it needs to be over, yesterday. This is a gross violation of human rights, you don't separate children from parents if it's avoidable, and it's certainly avoidable.

[onejayhawk]

This is a very reasoned post. I do agree that these "families" are being used as pawns, for political purposes, and where I disagree is that both parties should be ashamed of doing that. No doubt this policy is outrageous, as I think its a terrible policy to separate families, but if, as you note, they present (legally) as a family for asylum purposes, they will not be separated. So do the people sneaking across the border (illegally) have proof that these children are theirs or were entrusted to them? If not, then isn't this a huge potential for trafficking?

Well said. Let's not pretend this isn't a decades old problem.

One issue is that coming through Mexico invalidates asylum seeker status, because Mexico granted asylum by allowing them to enter.

J

[Bernie Brewer]

All it takes it two Republicans BB, that's all. If the GOP came up with a bill and it needed a few Democrats, I'd be saying the same thing.Some actions need to transcend politics.

And frankly, it needs to be over, yesterday. This is a gross violation of human rights, you don't separate children from parents if it's avoidable, and it's certainly avoidable.

On this we can agree. But sadly, politics always politics, and politics always gets in the way of progress. No one wants to take the “loss” by giving in to the otherside. I don’t think he Dems are going to give up the “moral high ground” easily and therefore won’t sign on anything put forth by the GOP.

[Hornsby]

On this we can agree. But sadly, politics always politics, and politics always gets in the way of progress. No one wants to take the “loss” by giving in to the otherside. I don’t think he Dems are going to give up the “moral high ground” easily and therefore won’t sign on anything put forth by the GOP.

I would hope that you're wrong on this, and if the Senate and House GOP decided to lead on the issue, the Dems would rally around. The only losing position is to keep separating families...that will BURY the GOP in November.

I was sitting with my 2 YO granddaughter today, and now I'm thinking about seeing her separated from her parents...that might just kill me.

[cardboardbox]

Well said. Let's not pretend this isn't a decades old problem.

One issue is that coming through Mexico invalidates asylum seeker status, because Mexico granted asylum by allowing them to enter.

J

I've been thinking that if Mexico lets these folks pass through their country, Mexico should have to house them while asylum applications are processed.

[Bernie Brewer]

I would hope that you're wrong on this, and if the Senate and House GOP decided to lead on the issue, the Dems would rally around. The only losing position is to keep separating families...that will BURY the GOP in November.

I was sitting with my 2 YO granddaughter today, and now I'm thinking about seeing her separated from her parents...that might just kill me.

I have a granddaughter due in just days. I agree. But you more faith in these dopes than I do.

[Bernie Brewer]

I've been thinking that if Mexico lets these folks pass through their country, Mexico should have to house them while asylum applications are processed.

Since Mexicans aren’t coming as much any more, maybe we can get them to build a southern wall in Mexico to keep the Central Americans out.

[Hornsby]

I have a granddaughter due in just days. I agree. But you more faith in these dopes than I do.

Congratulations...cherish her. She'll be the greatest gift that you've ever been given.

[Bernie Brewer]

Congratulations...cherish her. She'll be the greatest gift that you've ever been given.

My first granddaughter, as I have a grandson (her older brother). Thanks. Looking forward to it.

[onejayhawk]

I've been thinking that if Mexico lets these folks pass through their country, Mexico should have to house them while asylum applications are processed.

If I understand it correctly, that is the rule for adults. Minors we will accept pending whatever. As noted several times, this has been happeneing for decades.

I would hope that you're wrong on this, and if the Senate and House GOP decided to lead on the issue, the Dems would rally around. The only losing position is to keep separating families...that will BURY the GOP in November.

I was sitting with my 2 YO granddaughter today, and now I'm thinking about seeing her separated from her parents...that might just kill me.

Remember, most of these kids were separated from their parents before they entered the US.

This is largely about something the Obama administration started in 2011, but with roots 30+ years before that. The GOP has moral high ground to stand on. Much as the current reporting says otherwise, this is not their problem. They inherited it from President Carter and every President since.

J