Thirteen Republican Senators are demanding President Trump halt immigration enforcement at the United States-Mexico border until they can pass legislation closing a legal loophole, perhaps leaving the border open for years.
In a letter by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), he and 12 other Republican Senators have taken the extreme, open borders position that the Trump administration should release every illegal alien who crosses the southern border with a child into the interior of the U.S.
The plan would spur a completely open border until the Republican-controlled Congress passes legislation that allows children to be detained with the border-crossing adults that they arrived in the U.S. with.
“We, therefore, ask you to halt implementation of the Department’s zero tolerance policy while Congress works out a solution that enables faster processing of individuals who enter our country illegally without requiring the forced, inhumane separation of children from their parents,” the letter signed by the 13 Republican Senators states. “We believe a reasonable path forward can be found that accommodates the need to enforce our laws while holding true to other, equally essential values.”
Here, Breitbart News has compiled a list of all the Republican Senators supporting this plan to stop all border enforcement:
- Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
- Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
- Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS)
- Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
- Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
- Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN)
- Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
- Sen. John Boozman (R-AR)
- Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV)
- Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO)
- Sen. James Lankford (R-OK)
- Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
- Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH)
Pushing back against the Republican establishment and Democrats’ efforts to end all border enforcement is Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), who most recently slammed a plan that would allow all illegal aliens crossing the border with children to be released into the U.S.
“Dems’ Keep Families Together Act is better called the Child Trafficking Encouragement Act,” Cotton said, as Breitbart News reported. “Show up at border with a minor & call him your child, then you get released into the US! Children will be abducted & sold to drug cartels & slave-traders as a free ticket into US.”
President Trump has asked the Republican-controlled Congress to enact his plan, which would allow border-crossing children to be detained with their guardians and parents for extended periods of time. This plan would speed up the asylum and immigration hearing process, and allow the family unit to be deported together back to their native country.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.