[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 103 (Wednesday, June 20, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H5293]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           FAMILY SEPARATION

  (Mr. SCHNEIDER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, the Trump administration's abhorrent 
immigration policy that is tearing families apart and separating 
children from their parents is a shameful betrayal of our values. It 
needs to end immediately.
  Americans of all political stripes are contacting our office, 
heartbroken and outraged by the images and stories of the treatment of 
these vulnerable young people by our Nation.
  The President and his Attorney General have created this crisis. The 
President has the power to immediately stop this cruelty, but so far, 
Mr. Speaker, he refuses to do so. That is why today I am proud to join 
more than 190 colleagues introducing legislation to stop this inhumane 
treatment of children at our border.
  The Keep Families Together Act prohibits the Department of Homeland 
Security from separating children from their parents, except in 
extraordinary circumstances. The bill also limits criminal prosecution 
of asylum seekers fleeing persecution, increases child welfare 
training, and creates a policy preference for family reunification.
  I urge my fellow Members of Congress to join us on this bill. Let's 
fix this stain on the character of our Nation and swiftly end this 
policy.

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