In response to President Trump’s threat to veto any immigration legislation that lacks proper funding for the border wall, Linda Chavez, director and spokeswoman for the Becoming American Initiative, released the following statement:
The administration’s policy of separating children from their parents—who have committed a misdemeanor offense by crossing the border illegally—is inhumane. It is absolutely disgraceful for President Trump to threaten the well-being of immigrant children over funding for his border wall. While it is true our immigration system is broken, children should never be used as bargaining chips. Congress needs to act immediately to grant legal status to DACA recipients while reforming the policies that cruelly separates children from their parents at the border. Once those pressing concerns are addressed, Congress can dig into expanded immigration solutions to fix decades-old problems. We call on President Trump to rescind his veto threat and work with Congress to pass responsible immigration reform.