Quigley Sends Letter Urging Appropriators to Restrict DHS’ Use of Funds to Separate Families
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (IL-05), who serves as a Member on the House Appropriations Committee, joined 110 Members of Congress in urging the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security to restrict the Department of Homeland Security's ability to use appropriated funds to separate parents from their children and instead include robust funding for community-based alternatives to detention.
The letter, which can be found in its entirety here, comes in response to the Trump Administration's cruel and inhumane policy of separating children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border.
"Many parents arrive at our borders with their children to seek protection—a lawful act. In the last several years, the numbers of such families apprehended at our southern border has increased. Overwhelming evidence shows this is driven by rising levels of violence and persecution in their home countries," wrote the members. "We believe that in a misguided attempt to reduce these numbers, DHS has been separating families with the hope that cruel treatment at our borders will send a message to and deter future migrants."
"The solution to the cruel inhumanity of family separation cannot be the alternative—and costly—cruelty of family detention. Instead, DHS must act with humanity and fiscal responsibility by prioritizing a spectrum of alternatives to detention, beginning by restoring the Family Case Management Program (FCMP)," the members continued. "We respectfully request that the DHS FY 2019 Appropriations bill make it clear that no funds may be used to support the ongoing and increasing use of family separation as a means of deterring future migration. We also strongly urge you to include funding for the FCMP as a cost-efficient and effective alternative to detention."