Sen. Ted Cruz introduces 'emergency' bill to keep immigrant families together, slams Dems' proposalSen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Monday announced a plan to introduce comprehensive "emergency legislation" designed to end unnecessary separations of illegal immigrant children from their parents.
The bill, an answer to President Trump's call for a congressional solution to the situation, would double the number of immigration judges to 750 and mandate that illegal immigrant families be kept together, unless there has been "aggravated criminal conduct" or threat of harm to the children, according to Cruz's office.
The new legislation would also authorize new temporary shelters for immigrant families, and provide for expedited resolution of asylum claims within 14 days.........
.........But the administration has consistently said that the so-called Flores consent decree -- crafted during former President Bill Clinton's administration -- is what prohibits them from keeping parents and children together during these prosecutions, by limiting how long children can remain in federal custody.............
..........."President Obama held tens of thousands of children in detention centers who came illegally as immigrants," Cruz said. "Now, when Obama was president, the Democrats didn’t think it was a problem. ... But regardless, it was a problem then, it’s a problem now.".......
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/06/18/sen-ted-cruz-introduces-emergency-bill-to-keep-immigrant-families-together-slams-dems-proposal.html