O'Rourke Calls for Immediate End to Inhumane Treatment of Migrants

At LULAC-UNIVISION Presidential Town Hall, Beto also calls for sweeping rewrite of U.S. immigration laws and an end to detention of asylum seekers and children 

MILWAUKEE, WI - Today, Beto O’Rourke called for an immediate end to the Trump Administration’s inhumane treatment of children and asylum seekers and outlined a plan for increased accountability over Customs and Border Protection in light of disturbing reports of mistreatment and abuse. The call comes alongside Beto’s participation in the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) - UNIVISION Presidential Town Hall in Milwaukee on Thursday.

“The Trump Administration’s cruel and inhumane policies are creating chaos at our borders and betray our deepest values as a nation of immigrants,” said Beto O’Rourke. “We need to address this crisis with the urgency it demands by bringing an immediate end to Trump’s policies detaining children and asylum seekers and holding those accountable for mistreating and dehumanizing those seeking refuge.”

In addition to calling for an immediate end to Trump’s policies separating families and detaining children and asylum seekers, Beto has laid out a series of actions to immediately end the mistreatment of children detained in border patrol facilities across the country, including directing resources and humanitarian support to provide shelter and care for migrant children. He has also called for increased accountability and oversight for Customs and Border Protection officials in light of disturbing reports of mistreatment, abuse and comments dehumanizing immigrants and asylum seekers. Beto’s call for increased accountability comes alongside a series of hearings by the House Oversight Committee this week and next focused on the conditions of detention facilities along the Southern border. The call builds off Beto’s leadership in Congress, where he introduced bipartisan legislation to bring accountability and oversight to the federal government’s border enforcement functions.

Beto has called for: 

• Ending Trump’s inhumane policies by:
  • Ending child detention camps. Children should not be sleeping on concrete floors without adequate care, shelter or medical resources. 
  • Ending family separation and  reunite separated children with their parents. Last year, Beto organized a 2,000 person march protesting family separation at Tornillo and continued returning until the center was closed. Beto has called for an immediate end of Trump’s policies separating families and detaining asylum seekers. 
  • Stopping “Metering” and “Remain in Mexico” policies trapping thousands of refugees in desperate and dangerous conditions in Mexico. Expedite processing at ports of entry and send refugees to regional processing centers. Beto has also called for a sweeping rewrite of our immigration laws to expand legal pathways for those seeking asylum or opportunity to come to America.
     
• Tackling the humanitarian emergency created by the Trump Administration at the border by:
  • Directing DHS to work with experienced NGOs and humanitarian organizations to set up reception centers to provide humane shelter and care  for unaccompanied minors awaiting transfer to HHS and families seeking to be reunited with their loved ones. This is a humanitarian emergency. We need the support of humanitarian experts.  
  • Initiating rapid deployment of qualified personnel to properly screen and care for families and children arriving at the border, including adequate medical and mental health personnel, transportation officials, social workers and translators.
  • Surging asylum officers, immigration judges, translators and other resources to the asylum system to process cases in a fair and efficient manner and support funding for legal representatives to ensure due process.
     
• Ensuring accountability and oversight over federal border enforcement by:
  • Creating an independent Border Oversight Commission, with subpoena authority, to examine and make recommendations on CBP's use of force, search and seizure, personnel training, and community engagement policies.
  • Requiring inspection of detention facilities by humanitarian organizations.
  • Creating an Ombudsman within DHS to be responsible for representing the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints of maladministration or violation of an individual's rights along our country's borders.   
  • Enhancing training and continuing education courses for CBP Officers and Agents and enacting new transparency and integrity measures through mandatory and stringent reporting requirements regarding use of force, migrant deaths and protection of civil rights and liberties and establishing robust practices for tracking of migrant deaths along the border and recommendations for preventing further deaths.
     
• Addressing the root causes of migration in Northern Triangle countries and create a  regional response to the humanitarian crisis by:  
  • Investing in non-governmental organizations, community groups (such as Municipal Crime Prevention Committees) and congregations, and public-private partnerships to tackle violence and corruption, promote economic growth, and protect vulnerable populations 
  • Strengthening Mexico and Latin America’s capacity to contribute to regional security, by supporting the United Nations’ Refugee Agency’s (UNHCR) work and the development of strong asylum and refugee protection systems in Mexico and across the region, to manage migration flows from the Northern Triangle. 
  • Launching a regional resettlement initiative, including building a safe and comprehensive repatriation and reintegration program.