NY/NJ Democrats call for an end to Trump family separation policy

Democratic lawmakers from New York and New Jersey are calling on the Trump administration to end its policy of separating children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border after the families illegally entered the country.
“There is nothing in the law that requires the Trump administration to separate children from their families,” said Sen. Bob Menendez.
“This is a shameful chapter in American history,” said Sen. Cory Booker.
President Donald Trump says that the separation is the law and also blames Democrats for the whole situation.
“I say it’s very strongly the Democrats’ fault, their obstruction. They’re really obstructionists and they are obstructing,” President Trump said. “We can’t get them to sign legislation. We can’t even get them to the negotiating table.”
Many have now spoken out against the situation happening at the border. Critics include several prominent Republicans such as Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, former first lady Laura Bush and current first lady Melania Trump.
Rep. Frank Pallone says that he doesn’t think the president is heartless, he says that he just thinks the president doesn’t know what he is doing.
Pallone was one of seven Democratic lawmakers from New Jersey and New York who gained entry to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Elizabeth Sunday for a surprise visit. They were rallying against the detention of undocumented fathers who have not seen their children for a long time.
“One guy’s daughter was taken away at 3 a.m. while he was sleeping,” Pallone says.
The lawmakers were initially not welcomed at the facility. They say that ICE officials gave them “pushback” when they first arrived. They were eventually let in about two hours later.
Pallone says that the Trump administration cannot keep using immigrant children as a negotiating tool.
“We can’t go on like this. It’s just inhumane,” Pallone says.
Democratic lawmakers say that they plan to introduce legislation next Tuesday to stop the policy that is separating families.