Rep. Brat Introducing Protect Kids and Parents Act to Keep Illegal Immigrant Families Together

Statement

Today, Rep. Brat released the following statement:

"Since I came to Congress, I have advocated for immigration laws that would secure our homeland and preserve the rule of law. The goal is to protect us from the criminal elements who seek to cross our borders and engage in drug or gang activity and often human trafficking. Fixing our broken system will also allow us to stand up for the American worker and turn off the magnet causing a surge of migrants illegally crossing into the country so that we no longer have a humanitarian crisis happening at our Southern border. I hope we can pass something consistent with the Republican Party platform as soon as possible.

"As we work towards a permanent solution, we need to also prioritize the issue of family separation at the border. In the House today, I've introduced companion legislation to Sen. Cruz's bill that would expedite the asylum process for individuals in the United States with children and keep families together during that process.

"The president's executive order this week provided relief to these families, but it is not a permanent fix. Congress, in line with our duties and responsibilities under Article I of the Constitution, should address what is happening at the border by providing funding for additional federal immigration judges, authorizing new temporary shelters and requiring expedited processing and review of asylum cases.

Source