Thompson, Nadler, Rice, Lofgren, Jayapal Lead Letter Urging President-elect Biden to Help Separated Children on Day One
(WASHINGTON) – Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations Subcommittee Chairwoman Kathleen Rice (D-NY), Immigration and Citizenship Subcommittee Chair Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), and Immigration and Citizenship Subcommittee Vice Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) led a letter with 83 Members of the House to President-elect Joe Biden urging him to assist the children harmed by the Trump Administration’s inhumane family separation policy.
In the letter, the Members urge the President-elect to exercise existing legal authorities to give safe refuge to the children, including the almost 630 children that remain separated from their families, and help them reunite with their parents. While long term solutions are available to children hurt by family separation, Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) or parole-in-place are two examples of programs that would allow separated children to come out of the shadows and live in the United States formally.
“We cannot effectively promote human rights and decency abroad if we do not assist the children the Trump Administration has effectively orphaned in the United States,” wrote the Members. “We believe this is an urgent, Day One initiative that can help provide some stability for the children who suffered the trauma of family separation. We urge you to use your authority to do so, and look forward to working with you to reunite and help the thousands of separated families.”
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