WASHINGTON, D.C. – Thirteen months after his first trip to McAllen, Texas pushed the issue of family separation to the top of the national debate, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley returned to McAllen today with a delegation of 12 Senate Democrats.<\/p>\n
Merkley helped lead the on-the-ground mission to investigate the Trump policies that have created overcrowding and suffering, as Senate Democrats responded to the latest Trump administration crisis at the border. Last week, Merkley led the introduction of the Ley de Alto a la Crueldad hacia los Ni\u00f1os Migrantes<\/i>, legislation co-sponsored by 40 Senate Democrats that would end the Trump administration’s cruelty at the border.<\/p>\n “No American wants innocent children to suffer—especially not on America’s watch, with America’s taxdollars,” said Merkley. “The Trump administration has pursued a deliberate strategy of inflicting trauma on children to deter people seeking asylum from coming to our borders. This is shameful and wrong, and demands that we stand up against it in outrage. It’s possible to create an immigration system that is fair and gives all families the opportunities to fulfill their potential and contribute to society. That’s why Senate Democrats are here today, and that’s why we will keep fighting to end cruelty to migrant children and treat everyone within our borders with decency and respect.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n On today’s trip, the delegation visited Border Patrol holding and processing centers along the border, as well as a Catholic respite center that is providing aid to asylum seekers. They also met with local NGOs who have been advocating for safer conditions and providing assistance and legal aid to families fleeing persecution.<\/p>\n In recent weeks, Americans have been horrified by reports and photos of the unimaginable conditions Trump’s border policies have created for vulnerable families, particularly children, who have come to the border fleeing persecution abroad. In many cases, children were left with dirty clothes, without adequate meals, and even without soap and toothbrushes. At one facility in Clint, Texas, children were so neglected that the older child detainees were instructed to look after other children as young as toddlers, because there were no dedicated staff to care for them. Many children and families have been sleeping in concrete holding cells with no beds and only Mylar blankets to stay warm, with the lights left on all night, and sometimes without even enough room to lie down.<\/p>\n El Ley de Alto a la Crueldad hacia los Ni\u00f1os Migrantes <\/i>crear\u00eda est\u00e1ndares claros y no negociables para el tratamiento de los ni\u00f1os bajo el cuidado de los Estados Unidos, que incluyen:<\/p>\n Adem\u00e1s, la legislaci\u00f3n proporcionar\u00eda recursos a los centros sin fines de lucro que ayudan a brindar asistencia humanitaria y mejorar\u00eda la supervisi\u00f3n p\u00fablica de las condiciones en las que se retiene a los ni\u00f1os al permitir que los miembros del Congreso y su personal, junto con la prensa acreditada (sin c\u00e1maras), para visitar cualquier instalaci\u00f3n con 24 horas de anticipaci\u00f3n.<\/p>\n\n
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