USA

‘You should be put in your place’

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Thursday scolded Rep. Rosa DeLauro after the Connecticut Democrat expressed concerns about the Trump administration’s immigration policy.

DeLauro said during questioning before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security. I told Mullin “3 thousand 900 children were separated from their families.”

“450,000 children were lost during the Biden administration and you didn’t say a word about it,” Mullin said, interrupting him.

“Mr. Secretary, do not interrupt,” DeLauro replied, pointing to the secretary.

“Don’t point your finger at me,” he replied.

“I’m going to point my finger at you,” DeLauro added.

Mullin later accused the Connecticut lawmaker of being a “hypocrite.”

“You should also feel sorry for the 450,000 missing children. You didn’t say a word about it. You didn’t say a word for four years,” Mullin shouted.

“Can you put it back first?” DeLauro asked Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), the subcommittee chairman.

“You need to be put in your place,” Mullin replied.

The heated exchange comes as the Trump administration faces scrutiny over its immigration policy, particularly regarding the separation of children from parents detained by federal immigration authorities.

Under Trump, DHS repeatedly claimed that the Biden administration was “losing” children. 450,000 children refers to the number of unaccompanied children placed with sponsors after crossing the border. The Trump administration has claimed that these sponsors are “not vetted,” but many children are being placed with relatives or trying to contact an adult they already know in the U.S. who can sponsor.

The first Trump administration was also heavily criticized for separating children from their parents in custody, prompting the Biden administration to launch an initiative on the issue. family reunification task force For more than 1,000 children who have been separated for more than four years as a result of the 2018 policy.

Earlier this month, the Brookings Institution found that during President Trump’s second term, more than 145,000 children had at least one parent detained because of their immigration status. More than 22,000 children experienced custody of both parents, according to the Brookings report.

“ICE does not separate families. Parents are asked if they want to move with their children, or ICE will place the children with a safe individual designated by the parents,” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, said in a previous statement to The Hill.

“President Trump is determined to find these children,” the Homeland Security chief said earlier this month, adding that he would “move heaven and hell to find these children.”

Rebecca Beitsch contributed.

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