FRC’s Tony Perkins Convened Evangelicals to Urge Sessions to ‘Uphold’ Immigration Law While ‘Showing Compassion for Families’

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said on Tuesday he brought together a group of evangelical leaders and pastors that urged Attorney General Jeff Sessions to both “uphold” United States immigration law while still “showing compassion for families and children.”

In a statement, Perkins said he commends President Donald Trump for signing an executive order Wednesday to keep illegal families together, but now urges Congress to overhaul the nation’s immigration law.

“Yesterday I assembled a small group of evangelical leaders and pastors to discuss with Attorney General Jeff Sessions ways in which the federal government can uphold the law on our southern border while at the same time showing compassion for families and children,” Perkins said. “Attorney General Sessions shared our concerns and pledged to work toward a solution that would be just, fair and enforceable. President Trump issued an executive order today that will compassionately keep families together while also upholding the rule of law.”

Perkins added:

However, this should not lessen the pressure for Congress to come together to overhaul our immigration system and secure our borders. The inaction of Congress has helped create this crisis on the border. We need an immigration policy that is truly just, fair, family friendly, and enforceable. If there is a silver lining, all this has brought much needed attention to the immigration issue. I am hopeful that all sides may finally come to the table and negotiate a solution.

As Breitbart News reported, Perkins said Tuesday Session was discussing with members of Congress the use of DNA tests at the border to confirm biological relationships between illegal immigrant parents and children.

“They are looking at how to use DNA tests in the field to verify they are parents and not traffickers,” Perkins said. “The reality is if American parents put their kids through what these immigrant parents have done to their kids, they would be charged with child abuse.”

On Monday, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen affirmed the “vast, vast majority” of the 12,000 minors detained by federal authorities were sent alone by their parents to the U.S.-Mexico border with human traffickers.