RON
WYDEN
OREGON
UNITED STATES SENATE
WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20510
June 30, 2018
The Trump administration's inhumane policy of tearing children
out of their parents' arms at our border goes against our basic humanitarian
values as Americans. I witnessed the impact of this policy firsthand the day
before Father's Day when I visited with asylum seekers at a detention facility
in Sheridan. I met a father who had no idea where his 18-month-old baby was.
Punishing families for risking everything to escape the violence and horror of
their home countries — terrorizing innocent children that is not who we strive
to be.
At the moment, we're working to get as many answers as
possible about the well-being of these children. At a Senate Finance Committee
hearing just this week, I pressed HHS Secretary Azar over these policies and he
squirmed his way out of giving any answers that passed muster. I asked
Secretary Azar two simple questions: how many children HHS has reunited with
their parents or relatives, and how many parents have been told where their
children are. The agency's process for notifying parents where their children
are located seems to be to tell them to call a hotline or send an email.
That is just disconnected from reality. Most
of these parents are being held in detention centers themselves. And news
reports have indicated many parents are having problems getting through to the
hotline and getting the information they need to find their kids.
Azar also gave me different answers as to how many children
are in the agency's custody. That's 
completely unacceptable.
Thankfully, we received welcome news earlier this week from a judge who issued
an injunction that requires the administration to reunite families within 30
days. The administration has a lot of work to do to safely and securely reunite
this families in the next 30 days. They must ensure the safety of these
children while also protecting the privacy of their family members.
completely unacceptable.
Thankfully, we received welcome news earlier this week from a judge who issued
an injunction that requires the administration to reunite families within 30
days. The administration has a lot of work to do to safely and securely reunite
this families in the next 30 days. They must ensure the safety of these
children while also protecting the privacy of their family members.
The bottom line is these parents - and the American people -
still don't know how the Trump administration plans to protect and reunite the
thousands of children the administration separated from their mothers and
fathers.
In the coming days and weeks, I will fight tooth and nail to
help protect children and asylum seekers and oppose the cruel and inhumane
policies this administration has adopted.
Sincerely,
Ron Wyden
United States Senator
