‘Depth of the horror of family separation is unknown,’ says congresswoman in border district
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call(WASHINGTON) — Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) said she and her constituents suspected the initial numbers the government was providing about child separations were inaccurate.
“We knew the numbers were greater. We kept asking for information. We kept asking for transparency,” she said on ABC News’ The Debrief. “Of course, none of that happened.”
Her reaction comes on the heels of a federal report that stated more children were separated at the border than originally estimated.
Kirstjen Nielsen, the secretary of the department of homeland security, has defended the so-called zero-tolerance and said it was never U.S. policy to separate children.
We do not have a policy of separating families at the border. Period.
— Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen (@SecNielsen) June 17, 2018
On Thursday, a spokesman for DHS said the department was looking at every option.
“The Trump administration has made clear that all legal options are on the table to enforce the rule of law, rein in mass unchecked illegal immigration, and defend our borders,” said a spokeswoman in an emailed statement.
Still, Escobar does not feel confident the American public is getting the complete truth.
“I think the depth of the horror of family separation is unknown,” she said.
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