Cory Booker Plans to 'Virtually Eliminate' Immigrant Detention Centers

Democrat presidential hopeful Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) unveiled a plan Tuesday to “virtually eliminate immigrant detention” and implement other protections for illegal immigrants through executive order “on day one of my presidency.”

“When kids are being stripped away from their parents and held in cages, I will not wait for Congress to solve this crisis,” Booker said in a statement. “On day one of my presidency, I will take immediate steps to end this administration’s moral vandalism,” adding:

And although there are limits on what we can do to reverse the damage that has already been done to the lives of thousands and to communities across our country, we can put an end to the horror, and turn the page to a new chapter of our history. Our country must have an immigration system that reflects our values, not one that strips dignity away from people fleeing danger, threats, and violence.

Booker’s new immigration plan comes as recent polls reveal he trails fellow Democrats, including former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), in the race for the White House.

While many Democrats seeking to win the White House in 2020 have released similar proposals, Booker’s stands out because it focuses directly on the immigrant holding facilities.

A written proposal of the plan stated Booker aims to shut down “inhumane facilities and require all facilities to meet high standards, virtually eliminate our nation’s reliance on immigration incarceration,” and “phase out contracting with private prison facilities and county or local prisons.”

In a tweet Tuesday, Booker shared the news with his nearly 4.30 million Twitter followers but garnered only 200 retweets within the six hours after it was posted.

“I’m introducing a plan to fix our broken immigration system—without Congress,” the tweet read.

Booker’s plan would also “expand legal counsel for all immigrants, starting with immigrant children.”

The statement reads: “Cory will use his authority to expand access to counsel and the LOP to cover all detention centers and immigration courts and expand access to counsel for immigrants, especially unaccompanied immigrant children.”

Also included in Booker’s plan is the “vision for modernizing immigration.”

Booker’s modernization of immigration includes “reforming ICE and CBP and increasing accountability,” the expansion of “pathways for refugees and those seeking asylum,” and protection for sanctuary cities.

The plan would also legalize “Dreamers” – migrants who entered the U.S. illegally as children.

During a Tuesday morning appearance on CNN, Booker discussed his plan and considered giving illegal immigrants free, American tax-payer funded health care a “common sense thing.”