Gubernatorial, Congressional candidates debate family separation policy

Rep. French Hill, R-Little Rock, and Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson spoke Monday (June 18) about the growing controversies over illegal immigration, with Hill saying families should stay together and Hutchinson committed to sending troops to the U.S. southern border.

Hill wants to find ways of keeping families together when they cross the border illegally and is hopeful legislation can address the issue. Gov. Hutchinson said Arkansas will send National Guard troops to the border despite one of his GOP counterparts announcing opposition. Political opponents of both men called for an end of the Trump administration’s family separation policy that created an international firestorm of controversy.

Speaking to reporters after a summit his office organized on the opioid epidemic, Rep. Hill said he has been on record saying he supports keeping immigrant children with their families.

“I want to find ways to hold them together, keep them together in the right conditions and see if they’re seeking asylum or not, number one,” he said.

The issue has grown in importance as around 2,000 children were separated from their families in April and May under a “zero tolerance” policy announced by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, according to the Associated Press. The policy refers all adult illegal immigration cases for criminal prosecution. Children are not charged with a crime in cases of illegal entry.

Hill said President Trump will meet with House Republicans Tuesday to discuss proposed immigration legislation. That legislation includes legal status for “Dreamers” brought to America illegally as young people, increased border security, and other provisions.

“The purpose of the meeting with the president is to talk about the compromise approach on immigration reform, which includes an equitable solution for the DACAs, border security, budget, the end of the diversity lottery, the reforms to a more merit-based immigration system – those are the core features,” Hill said.

Hill said changes need to be made to the asylum seeking process and that it’s crucial for more judges to be appointed to adjudicate if immigrants coming across the border are truly seeking political asylum or if they are involved in child trafficking or human smuggling.

“I’d like to see the administration and Homeland Security come up with a plan for those families seeking asylum to be able to maintain that family unit in some appropriately run and managed circumstances while their case is being adjudicated,” he said.

Without a clear ruling on a non-asylum situation, should adults and children crossing borders together be separated?

“This gets into law issues, which is why we’re proposing a law change on what the requirements are,” Hill said. “I think the President’s executive authority has significant discretion to do this for the best outcome for families. So that’s what I’d like to see done. But I do think it’s something with a lot of technical issues around the law, and again, that’s why I hope to have some of those questions discussed at this meeting we have planned tomorrow.”

GOV. HUTCHINSON STANDS FIRM
While the Republican governor of Massachusetts said he planned to reverse his
commitment to send National Guard troops to the southern border, Gov. Hutchinson said the Natural State’s troops will remain committed.

Earlier Monday, Gov. Charlie Baker, R-Mass., cited the family separation policy enforcement as his reason for stopping deployment.

“Governor Baker directed the National Guard not to send any assets or personnel to the Southwest border today because the federal government’s current actions are resulting in the inhumane treatment of children,” said Baker communications director Lizzy Guyton.

Hutchinson told Talk Business & Politics that Arkansas service personnel will stay in place.

“Arkansas National Guard’s support is limited to air assets, and its commitment is for a 90-day deployment. There has been no change in our support of the mission and the commitment of our ARNG to support border security,” Hutchinson said.

HENDERSON, TUCKER CALL FOR AN END TO POLICY
Hutchinson’s fall Democratic opponent, Jared Henderson, said the family separation policy must “stop immediately,” claiming it was doing tremendous harm to immigrant children.

“There are intelligent and decent folks on each side of the aisle who disagree about many things regarding immigration policy, but I know we can show our children we do not disagree when it comes to harming some of our most vulnerable children,” Henderson said.

Henderson has opposed the National Guard deployment on the southern border and said he remains unpersuaded that it should continue.

“I think when we take people who are willing to put their lives on the line away from their families to go defend our country, it should be for clear reasons. I have yet to hear a clear reason from the Governor or his staff why this is necessary,” he said.

Clarke Tucker, the Second District Democratic Congressional nominee who faces Rep. Hill this November, said the current Trump policy needed to stop.

“The policy of separating children from their parents on our Southern border is reprehensible, and it is easily one of the worst practices the United States government has engaged in during my lifetime. Families are being separated needlessly, in nearly all cases when they have either committed a minor misdemeanor or when they have not broken any law at all, and the effort at family reunification after separation is virtually non-existent. The United States is inflicting tragic and lifelong damage to these families as well as lasting damage to our role as a leader of hope and freedom in the world,” Tucker said.

“In typical Washington fashion, there is a lot of finger pointing about who is to blame for this ongoing crisis. But it’s not about who was wrong yesterday, it’s about doing the right thing today,” Tucker added. “And the right course of action now is to put an immediate end to this policy and for lawmakers to come together on an immigration policy that secures our border, creates opportunity for those seeking to work for a better life, especially those brought to the United States as children, and keeps families together along the way.”

Tucker said if here were in Congress, he would be working around the clock to end the “horrific practice.”

Editor’s note: Talk Business & Politics CEO Roby Brock and freelancer Steve Brawner contributed to this article.