June 27, 2018

Castro Statement on District Court Ruling on Family Separation and Reunification

WASHINGTON—Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and First Vice Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, today made the following statement:

“Last week, the President signed the Affording Congress an Opportunity to Address Family Separation Executive Order, but the Administration has since failed to provide Congress and the American people any details and specific timelines for reuniting the 2,000+ children who were separated from their families. But last evening, Judge Dana M. Sabraw of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California issued a preliminary injunction barring the separation of migrant children from the parents and requiring immigration officials to reunite families within 30 days. Judge Sabraw also specifically ordered that children under five years old must be reunited with their parents within 14 days, parents must be allowed to speak with their children over the phone within ten days, and prohibited children from being separated from their parent unless the parent is unfit, poses a danger to the child, or declines to be reunited.

“Since the Administration began this zero tolerance policy, our nation’s core has been shaken and our hearts have ached. The United Nations, the Southern Baptist Convention, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Congressional Republicans, dozens of experts, advocates, thought-leaders, and now the Organization of American States have all condemned this policy on the merits that it lacks legal, political, and moral justification. This policy violates our domestic principles and law in addition to international commitments. As we move forward, we must continue to hold the Administration accountable for family reunification and bring the United States back to constitution and conscience.”

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