WASHINGTON, DC—Recent reportsfrom the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General provide details on the implementation of Trump’s zero tolerance policy, dehumanizing conditions at immigrant detention centers, and deliberate attempts by the Trump administration to mislead the public on their immigration policies. In response, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva issued the following statement:

“These scathing reports corroborate what we already knew. The Trump Administration intentionally created the family separation policy as a deterrent, lied about its existence, and attempted to cover up their gross mismanagement of the crisis they created. After cruelly separating children from their parents and detaining many well-beyond what is legally acceptable, they prosecuted their parents and imprisoned them in dehumanizing prison-like conditions.

“The vitriol and cruelty underlying Trump’s immigration policies knows no bounds—and it is having devastating consequences on those caught in its crosshairs. At Eloy Detention Center in Arizona, a toddler died after exposure to unsanitary conditions while other detention centers and shelters across the country face serious allegations of abuse, such as substandard health care for detainees.

“Congress should not sit around and allow the President and his cronies to continue their assault on our values with impunity. It’s time for Congress to reassert itself and pass legislation like my Justice Is Not For Sale Act to ensure that we protect immigrants, end our reliance on for-profit detention centers and instead, use cost-efficient alternatives to detention such as the Family Case Management Program, which the Trump Administration canceled.” 

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