“I am outraged and shaken that the spokesman for the House Republican Caucus, Stephen Miskin, is spreading falsehoods about federal immigration law and justifying the cruel, inhumane Trump Administration policy of separating migrant families, failing to maintain records of their physical locations, and warehousing children in cages.
“I call on Speaker Mike Turzai and House Republican leadership to immediately clarify whether Miskin speaks for them on this important issue. I know from direct conversations that my colleagues on both sides of the aisles are absolutely heartbroken and outraged by the family separation policy and a bipartisan group of legislators have signed onto Rep. Helen Tai’s House Resolution 1000 urging President Trump to reverse his immigration policy that is tearing families apart. Families belong together. Migrants seeking asylum in the Land of the Free deserve fair consideration and humane treatment by U.S. authorities. Children do not — DO NOT — belong in cages or detention centers separated from their mothers and fathers and without the loving care that all babies, children, and adolescents need for their health and survival.
“Further, the publicly paid spokesman of a Pennsylvania legislative caucus should be able to correctly interpret laws and regulations, and no public servant should ever call constituents “stupid” for expressing dissenting opinions.
“There is no existing federal law that mandates family separation of migrants; this is entirely a policy decision by the Trump Administration, which members of Congress from both parties have demanded be reversed. Congress does have the power to block the Trump Administration by passing the Keep Families Together Act, introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). It currently has the support of all 49 Democrats but not one Republican.
“I urge all of my fellow state lawmakers to call on our congressional leaders to support the Keep Families Together Act — including House Speaker Mike Turzai and his Republican Caucus leadership.”
###