Tennessee lawmakers responded to the growing discussion and outrage over families being separated while seeking asylum in the United States.
Senator Bob Corker said the Trump administration should put an end to the practice.
“While the issues surrounding our immigration system are complex, we can all agree that innocent children should be protected and not used for deterrence. The administration should use all tools available to stop needless family separation without delay, and Congress should act swiftly to address the serious challenges facing our nation’s immigration system.”
Senator Lamar Alexander....
“Illegal immigration is against the law but new enforcement policies have resulted in hundreds of children being separated from their parents. The administration should end that new policy immediately while Congress works with the president on a bipartisan immigration solution that secures the border, provides a status for those already here and prevents a humanitarian crisis at the border.”
The effects of the Trump administration's zero tolerance policy on illegal immigration came to a head last week, when Americans started seeing the insides of the detention centers where children are kept after being separated from their parents.
The policy has been in effect before President Trump took office with one difference: prior administrations did not typically prosecute illegal border crossings for asylum seekers.
The President and his DHS Secretary defended the policy Monday. However, a growing chorus of detractors have taken aim at the policy, including former First Lady Laura Bush.
