[RD] Schumer Refuses to Endorse Legislative End to Family Separation

[BvBPL]

In April, Attorney General Sessions announced a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal immigration, a policy that mandated the separation of illegal immigrant families, children from their parents. In the past few weeks, there has been a public uproar over the application of the policy to the separation of families.

In the response to the public’s discontent over the issue, the White House has stated, inaccurately, that only Congress can fix the issue. In fact, Pres. Trump, AG Sessions, and DHS Sec. Nielsen could take actions that would end or limit the family separation policy. This is because the executive branch has broad discretion granted to by Congress on how to enforce immigration laws.

It is true, however, that Congress can fix the problem. Congress is empowered to pass laws that will prevent family separation and provide for the ethical treatment of those detained by US immigration enforcement. In fact, Sen. McConnell says he and Congressional GOP leadership are working towards a legislative resolution.

However, Senate Minority Leader Schumer has stated he will not support legislation to end family separation. For Sen. Schumer, a legislative fix is simply a non-starter because Pres. Trump could easily end family separation with the stroke of a pen.

The problem with relying upon the president to end family separation is that the Executive Branch would retain the broad discretion it has to impose draconian rules on immigration enforcement. While it is certainly true that the president could easily end family separation, he, or subsequent president, could also easily restart the policy at any time. Only a change to the law imposed by Congress will prevent the White House from changing policy on a whim. For this reason, legislation ending family separation must be passed to protect current and future detainees of immigration officials from the sort of abhorrent treatment we are now seeing.

Sen. Schumer points out that the House GOP legislation that would end family separation has riders on it that offend him. The virtue of the democratic process is that Sen. Schumer and other lawmakers are empowered to propose better bills that those presently before the legislature. Sen. Schumer could purpose a bill that ends family separation on his terms and then sell it to the American people.

However, Sen. Schumer has declared the legislative solution off the table, totally. Sen. Schumer instead "hopes" that Pres. Trump will come to his senses and rescind the policy. Presumably, he also hopes that future presidents will not repeat Pres. Trump's misdeeds. However, Pres. Trump is unworthy of such hopes; Sen. Schumer should recognize that.

In the wake of the unacceptable treatment of migrants within the United State, Sen. Schumer should not be permitted to stand on the sidelines and demure his responsibility to protect the powerless. If the Sen. Schumer and the Democrats want to present themselves as the better party than that starts with acting better. Having Sen. Schumer sit on his hands and pass the buck to a buffoon in the Oval Office is unacceptable.

I urge all US subjects to contact your elected representatives and advocate for a legislative solution to the family separation crisis. The president has demonstrated that his administration cannot be trusted to act in accordance with the ideals of our nation. When the president treats innocent children like playthings then it is time to take his toys away. The way to do that is through legislation that sets down in the US Code that this sort of behavior is unacceptable by our public servants and unworthy of any people or nation.

 

[rah]

Hmm both sides are playing hardball and not cooperating to try to influence the final solution to be closer to their own agenda.
I'm shocked I tell you, I'm shocked.

Next they'll be name calling, oops, too late.

 

[civvver]

The whole thing is being blown up now because previous administrations practiced catch and release policies. Really this isn't something new. When you try to enter the us a second time illegally it becomes a felony, and felons are detained and their children cannot go with them. Typically the process to give them a quick court date and release is short like a day or two, but there is an asylum clause whereby the illegal alien has to wait out a much longer process to see their claim processed. This is what causes the longer term separation from their family.

Does the process suck? Yes it does. But it's better than basically letting illegal aliens into the country and hoping they'll show up to their court date and losing track of them. And also can we place some of the blame on the illegals? They aren't stupid, they know if they claim asylum this is how the process works and they'll be separated.

Trump's administration is enforcing the law as written. I don't see a problem with that. Their statements about it are ridiculous, quoting scripture and saying oh well our hands are tied, but democrats seem to think the laws don't matter because they want an open border. Trump said he'll sign any bill the house passes. It's really congress being too disjointed to pass anything that's the issue.

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

They're enforcing the law as written insomuch as this is policy, not congressional law, that the executive branch just orchestrated in May. This is not how it has always been or written. The Republican legislative fix has also called for the wall to be built, so they are literally using children as hostages to bargain. Plenty of Republicans have said this separation is entirely cruel and unacceptable and needs to end. There is a Senate bill on the table to end the separation and it contains nothing else. 49 Dems support it. Zero Republicans do.

Trump CAN end this immediately. He is blaming Congress to try to frame this as Dem obstruction so that he and his racist party can get off the hook by complaining about it to the press and doing nothing. It would be easy for him to end it or for congress to pass a bill ending it with nothing else. It will not happen because they genuinely don't care and many of them like it.

 

[Lexicus]

Schumer is correct to reject any and all attempts to use this policy as a bargaining chip to pass a white supremacist overhaul of the immigration system.

The whole thing is being blown up now because previous administrations practiced catch and release policies. Really this isn't something new. When you try to enter the us a second time illegally it becomes a felony, and felons are detained and their children cannot go with them. Typically the process to give them a quick court date and release is short like a day or two, but there is an asylum clause whereby the illegal alien has to wait out a much longer process to see their claim processed. This is what causes the longer term separation from their family.

It is actually a violation of international law to treat asylum-seekers as illegal entrants without hearing their cases.

But it's better than basically letting illegal aliens into the country and hoping they'll show up to their court date and losing track of them.

No it isn't. As far as I'm concerned most undocumented immigrants have more right to be in this country than you do, since you apparently support violating the human rights of people because they were born in another country. That's not what America's supposed to be about.

Trump's administration is enforcing the law as written. I don't see a problem with that.

You're actually wrong about the administration "enforcing the law as written." There is no law that says the country has to incarcerate and prosecute all illegal entrants. That decision was made entirely at the discretion of the Trump administration, and in fact it is likely that the idea came from noted Nazi Steve Miller.

Obviously I cannot fully express the dislike and contempt I now feel for you without violating the forum rules. Do you really hate brown people in particular or do you just get off on seeing human beings in cages?

It's really congress being too disjointed to pass anything that's the issue.

No, it's the fact that the administration is full of Nazis like Steve Miller and Jeff Sessions who take pleasure in inflicting suffering on non-whites.

 

[Berzerker]

Trump will give in, the outrage already has him blaming someone else. I'd like to see the riders in the GOP bill, they're probably using this to pass poison pills.

or is a poison pill meant to kill a bill?

I've never been into soccor because of all the running, but I'm getting into this World Cup.

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

The riders the press has reported so far in both Republican bills are the border wall and an end to the visa lottery. There are two bills, neither of which Trump has endorsed. One also protects Dreamers, one basically dooms that to extinction. The House will probably be the biggest obstacle since it's much more hardline on this.

 

[Broken_Erika]

"Life begins at conception" is probably in there too. In fact, i'd be surprised if it isn't.

 

[civvver]

Trump said he'll support any bill congress passes. It's the republicans in congress who aren't putting something good together and tying the wall to it.

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

Trump said he'll support any bill congress passes. It's the republicans in congress who aren't putting something good together and tying the wall to it.

Originally, yes, but with House leaders yesterday in a meeting he said there are changes he wants to make. Both bills are honestly DOA in the house too.

 

[Lexicus]

The architects of this policy should be hanged by the International Criminal Court as far as I'm concerned.

 

[rah]

I think the Dumpster will lose the PR war on this one and have to cave at some point with the elections coming up. Those up for reelection may not have a problem appearing like racists, but Heartless, no. They're already making noise. It will get louder.

But then I've been so wrong on other predictions concerning the fuhrer that I really wouldn't be that surprised if he didn't.

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

He will eventually lose the PR war but it depends on when and how. A large majority of Americans are against this, BUT 55-58% of Republican voters support it, so until the actual ballots are counted, the supporting base has majority support.

 

[Lexicus]

On a side note I would like to congratulate @BvBPL for finding a way to blame the Democrats for this.

 

[El_Machinae]

I think I'd disagree with Schumer on the points of principle, without knowing the specifics of what is in the bills he's being asked to sign. It strikes me that we're really in the time when a bipartisan compromise is required to check the powers of the Presidency. Now, for all parties, defanging Trump should be on the table as one of their 'duh' inclusions, so I don't know if it's somehow being used as a bargaining chip in a hostage situation. But there absolutely should be bipartisan legislation, because the King is doing what they want.

That said McConnell pulled his evil Garland stunt. So, he's a scum not really interested in checking power.

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

The minority party in all 3 branches should find a way man.

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

I think I'd disagree with Schumer on the points of principle, without knowing the specifics of what is in the bills he's being asked to sign. It strikes me that we're really in the time when a bipartisan compromise is required to check the powers of the Presidency. Now, for all parties, defanging Trump should be on the table as one of their 'duh' inclusions, so I don't know if it's somehow being used as a bargaining chip in a hostage situation. But there absolutely should be bipartisan legislation, because the King is doing what they want.

That said McConnell pulled his evil Garland stunt. So, he's a scum not really interested in checking power.

I don't think agreeing to the wall, visa lottery end, and in one of the bills, killing officially dreamer protections is worth agreeing to, when the House will want way more still. That's literally compromising on everything and it still won't be enough.

Let's face it, Congress probably won't fix this, at least for the time being, and the House is insulated enough it doesn't matter. It's gotta come from Trump.

 

[Synobun]

You guys really need to discover the wonders of single-subject bills. Any conflict over this is automatically bankrupt if you're packaging it with corrupt riders.

 

[metalhead]

On a side note I would like to congratulate @BvBPL for finding a way to blame the Democrats for this.

It's also patently dishonest. All 49 Democrats in the Senate, including Chuck Schumer, have signed on to a bill prohibiting the separation of families in most circumstances. So it is either ignorant or lying to claim that Schumer doesn't support a legislative fix when he has already signed on to one.

Which is it, @BvBPL? Are you ignorant, or lying?

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

Yes.