WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, President Trump signed an executive order to end family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border that resulted from his ‘zero-tolerance’ policy. In response, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva issued the following statement:

“I am proud of the individuals who stood up to this inhumane and un-American policy that forced Trump into attempting to remedy the horrific crisis that he, Attorney General Sessions, and Secretary Nielsen created. He finally admitted he was wrong, and as we know, that is no easy feat. As I await the details of his executive order, the President must not turn one crisis into another by illegally incarcerating young children indefinitely. Make no mistake, the jailing of children—even with their parents—is still wrong and completely unnecessary. Alternatives to detention cost $3-$4 per person a day and have high compliance rates as families move through immigration court proceedings. It is foolish and inhumane to waste hundreds of dollars per person a day on jailing families fleeing violence that are simply trying to protect their children.

“Trump’s zero-tolerance policy is pure pandering, and the trauma he caused for thousands of families and children will not easily fade from public view. I demand than he immediately begin the process of reuniting the families that he destroyed with his senseless policies, including those parents who have already been deported, and allow them to proceed with their legal right to seek asylum.”

This morning, Rep. Grijalva joined Democratic colleagues on the House Floor with children from the local community to condemn Trump’s family separation policy and urge him to reverse it. Click here to watch his floor speech.