On Capitol Hill, the status of migrant children remains a hot-button issue

By Jennifer G. Hickey | July 12, 2018

On July 10, the court-ordered deadline for the Trump administration to reunite any migrant child under age 5 with their parents, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) held a press conference outside the Capitol building to capitalize on the lingering issue of child separations. He was joined by representatives of the open borders non-profit Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), who announced plans to dedicate $20 million in funds to “enable the speedy release of the mothers of the approximate 2,500 children that have been separated so these families can be reunified.”

Castro accused the Trump administration as “incompetence” and engaging in an immigration policy that was akin to “sadism” – a remark he conceded was harsh. In addition to calling for U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw to appoint a Special Master to ensure the government is in compliance with this process” of reunification, Castro and several House colleagues demanded Republicans hold oversight hearings to hold the administration “accountable.”

Also attending the political photo-op were Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) – all of whom were heavily critical of President Trump, but offered no solutions to the crisis on the border.