KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
Rep. Steve Knight, R-Santa Clarita, introduced legislation Thursday to prevent undocumented children from being separated from their parents at the U.S. border, after controversy over the policy erupted across the country.
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The bill, H.R. 6173, would require the Department of Homeland Security to maintain care and custody of adults charged with illegal entry with their children while charges against them are pending with the Department of Justice.
“America is a nation under the rule of law, and for very real economic and national security reasons, we cannot have people violating our immigration laws and entering the country illegally,” Knight said. “At the same time, however, we are also a compassionate and caring country with a common respect for human dignity as part of our national identity.”
To pay for the infrastructure needed to house the parents and children, the bill would authorize $50 million to construct facilities to hold the families while legal proceedings are processed.
“Recent reports of children, especially those at young ages, who have been separated from their parents without any indication of when or if they will be reunited, deeply disturbed me and many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle,” Knight said. “While I am relieved that the administration has issued an order to end this practice, it is clear that prohibitions against unjust family separation must written into law.”
Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.Friday morning, less than 24 hours after Knight’s bill was introduced, President Donald Trump Tweeted his opposition to any Congressional immigration talks until after the midterm elections. But Knight said Friday afternoon that he looked forward to working with his legislative colleagues to bring the bill to a vote.
Republicans should stop wasting their time on Immigration until after we elect more Senators and Congressmen/women in November. Dems are just playing games, have no intention of doing anything to solves this decades old problem. We can pass great legislation after the Red Wave!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2018
Alongside Knight’s bill, a measure is being drafted by GOP leadership in D.C. behind closed doors. But Knight crafted his own legislation as a “directed fix” not bogged down with political infighting, according to a statement to KHTS Radio.
“His legislation introduced this week does not detract from any other proposals brought forth and the efforts towards comprehensive reforms, but is simply a directed fix to the issue of children being separated from their parents at the border,” the statement reads.
Knight said in the statement he believed his bill was the best way to address the immigration issue in a way that represents the best interests of his district’s constituents.
“Throughout his time in Congress, Rep. Knight has worked to represent the best interests of California’s 25th Congressional District and the nation,” the statement reads. “It is clear that immigration is an important and complex issue that must be resolved and he looks forward to continue working with his colleagues to find solutions.”
Knight emphasized that his bill would not hinder the enforcement of immigration laws, or keep children with potentially dangerous or abusive parents.
“There are clearly a myriad of issues surrounding the general debate over our nation’s immigration policy,” he said. “However, on this particular issue, I think both sides can agree that the practice of separating children from their families is unnecessarily cruel and does not reflect our national character. I bring this bill forward so that this issue can stand independently of other immigration proposals and provide a quick, clean fix to a problem that should not have arisen in the first place.”
Ed. Note: CNN Contributed to this article. KHTS is an affiliate of CNN.
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This is pointless. Current law (as flawed as it may be) already allowed for families detained at the border to remain together (through processing and disposition). It was only Trumps zero tolerance “policy” to jail parents that required the children to be separated (children can’t be incarcerated in adult jails). What’s the point of authorizing millions of dollars in construction costs (how long will that take?) when the solution is already at hand (stop incarcerating parents and leave their children with them)? This is just a useless bit of showboating on Knight’s part.
WORK ON FIXING OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS rather than band-aids like this. Make legal immigration and asylum easier for those who meet the requirements, while tightening the vetting process and penalties for those who would then come illegally. This isn’t that tough.
50 million? Are you kidding me? They are not even supposed to be here. What about the American
families? You know the mother goes to jail and is separated from the kids or the father goes off to war and his kids may never see him again. How about sending the illegals back to where they came from and take care of the Americans, you know like in the inner cities or people trying to exist on social security especially in high tax California. We are being invaded and more and more are coming because of this country’s stupidity.
No. They are coming out of fear for the lives of their children and themselves. Ask anyone you know from Central America about gangs and corruption. You don’t know any? That’s a shame. I do and their stories are terrifying. They are not animals and they are not trying to take your stuff; only to have a chance at life and living it. Trump has played you and all racists by scaring you into believing his lies. These are people, just like you and me.
Of course! Just call her a racist. Good job leftie
This money would be better spent reuniting families that have been ripped apart than supporting the prison industrial complex and their inhumane baby jails. Currently not proud to be an American here in occupied Trumpistan.
Anyone re electing Mr. Knight?
Definitely not going to happen.
Feel free to go south and help make Mexico great again!
Norm- I wish I could help in Mexico as well as this country. But now I want to help you by suggesting you learn about humanity and caring for and about others we share this planet with. It is a concept prominent in philosophy, literature and even in religion. Are you willing to learn?
To the Party of Trump, you, like your idiotic, spineless and vile “leader” will have hell to pay come November. Shame on all of you for arresting and separating these families who were legally seeking asylum here in the US. Baby prisons, forced psychotropic drugs, and possibly sexual assaults; that’s on you! And of course, no plan on how to reunite these 2500 plus children currently separated from their parents. We will REMEMBER and VOTE in November
Once again you censored my comment because I called out the hypocrisy of Knight and the GOP for creating this nightmare of separating families at the border; many whom are seeking asylum in this country legally. You continue to censor my comments and one is forced to ask WHY? The Trump administration and the GOP have collectively demonstrated their moral failure as leaders. Print this, c’mon what are you afraid of, a free and open discourse? To the current occupant in the White House is say, stop the needless, senseless and heartless use of children as political pawns in this self-created disaster to fund your damn wall. Trump promised his base Mexico would pay for that damn wall and everyone with the exception of those who jumped on the crazy train knew that would never happen. Families seeking asylum are not collateral damage; the shame belongs to Trump and all those who believe that.
SCgal you are a kindred spirit.
Voltaire said, “Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
See; 2016 elections for the first part. We are now witnessing the second.