“DHS forcing children into shelters or foster care when their mothers or fathers are with them would be inhumane and runs contrary to American values,” the letter stated “We strongly urge you to reject this cruel and misguided policy.
The letter, signed by US Congressmen Bennie Thompson, Filemon Vela and Donald Payne Jr., urged Kelly to find other ways to address the humanitarian situation and stated that moving forward with such a policy would be a "black mark" in the history of both the DHS and the United States.
Kelly said that the Homeland Security gained "tremendous experience" in working with minors traveling without adults or sent by their parents. The agency would normally turn them over to the Department of Health & Human Services responsible for connecting children with their families or finding temporary shelters for them.
On Monday, President Donald Trump signed a revised immigration executive action that temporary blocks persons from six predominantly Muslim countries from traveling to the US. The countries affected are Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Unlike Trump’s first executive order, the revised ban does not apply to nationals from Iraq.
