Hickenlooper: No state resources for immigration separations
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper signed an executive order Monday barring the use of state resources for separating children from their parents based on immigration status.
The move is in response to a policy decision by President Donald Trump’s administration to house children of undocumented immigrants in separate facilities from their parents. The Department of Homeland Security’s “zero tolerance” policy has drawn criticism based on images published of children being pulled away from their parents at border crossings.
Hickenlooper’s office called the policy “offensive to our core values as Coloradans and as a country.”
“The administration has recently stated that the purpose of the policy is to intimidate immigrants and deter crossings,” a news release from Hickenlooper’s office stated.
The executive order only applies to cases where children are being separated from parents solely based on immigration status, according to the Governor’s Office. It doesn’t affect cases where a court has “determined it is in the best interest of the child to be removed from a parent or legal garden or where state officials believe a child is a victim, or is at significant risk of becoming a victim, of abuse or human trafficking.”
Hickenlooper also sent a letter to Congressional leaders asking for action to stop the policy of separating children at the border. Read that letter HERE.
Colorado Senators Cory Gardner and Michael Bennet have both expressed concerns about the separation policy.
Our immigration system is broken & the separation of children at our southern border shows just how critical it is that Congress pass immigration reform immediately. Children should not be penalized for the actions of their parents, & that’s exactly what is happening right now.
— Cory Gardner (@SenCoryGardner) June 18, 2018
The increasing number of children being ripped away from their parents is sickening. Americans of all political stripes have spoken out against this immoral policy. Yet @POTUS and his administration continue to perpetuate falsehoods and blame others for their own cruelty.
— Michael Bennet (@SenBennetCO) June 18, 2018
