HOLLAND, Mich. - Long-time lakeshore Republican Congressman Fred Upton is joining the chorus of lawmakers calling for a change in the “family separation” policy at the border.
Upton, R-MI 6th District, was in Holland on Monday to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Trans-Matic metal stamping company. Then he said he was catching a flight to Washington to work on legislation that will keep families of illegal immigrants together until they are either admitted to America or deported back to where they came from.
“There are thousands of kids, some as young as 5, 6, and 7 years old, separated from their moms and their dads,” he says. “That's just that's not who we are. It is pretty clear the immigration system is broken.”
Upton is only one of several Michigan lawmakers that have said they do not support the legislation. Republican Congressman Bill Huizenga issued a statement that said in part: "The United States is a nation of laws, but it is also a nation of compassion...While changes in policy are necessary, the notion of automatically separating families runs counter to my values as a father as well as the core values of our nation. We must find a legislative solution that balances our compassion with the fact that some individuals are exploiting loopholes in our immigration system"
Similarly, democratic Congressman Dan Kildee issued a statement on this issue. "...It is morally wrong and cruel to separate a child from their family. Tearing apart families flies in the face of our American values. I am working on legislation in Congress to reverse these immoral Trump Administration policies.”
In May, republican Congressman Justin Amash tweeted this:
Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow said that she is a cosponsor on Sen. Feinstein's bill that would end the separation of children and families.
Speaking to 13 ON YOUR SIDE in Holland, Upton says he supports legislation that would end family separation and add border security to reduce the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States.
Since April the government has separated about 2,000 children from their parents under the Trump administration's “zero tolerance policy.”
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