I think the initial focus on oversight will result in the best outcomes for the detainees. The extent the Trump administration has broken the laws of the USA and expanded its plans to control border crossers through detentions has to be known. To simply legislate to try to obtain control at the cost of the federal employees is wrong.
The fact finding has to be the focus of the Democratic majority in the US House. It won't be easy simply because the Trump administration are obstructionists as demonstrated by the Acting Attorney General Whitaker. He had no intention of being transparent. He exhibited profound disrespect for the USA democracy in his recent testimony with the US House. Committee Republicans tried their best to provide cover for his irreverent attitudes.
The idea the Democrats could be responsible for adding to the next government shutdown through demands on a funding bill is inappropriate. If the Democrats and the American people find Mr. Trump's demands political and wrong, the new demands by the Democrats to add for government funding are not appropriate either. There needs to be a bill that limits the political spending by Trump, but, also needs to be free of Democratic demands that belong in legislation for immigration reform.
If the Senate Republicans and Trump refuse to pass immigration reform after the fact finding is on the Congressional record, then attaching "asylum detainee relief" to a funding bill will have better standing with the country. The Democrats need to make it clear to the public their bills to provide better health care and relief for immigration detainees are passed and before the Senate or in need of a presidential signature.
The Democrats need to build a strong base of facts that will make any House legislation strong. Legislation is supposed to be based in fact and need, not politics that make the USA weaker.
I thank the US House for it's ambitions. They have the best interest of the country at the center of their legislative efforts. Unfortunately, the president has invoked horrible and inhumane demands of our Border Guards, the National Guard and the USA military. The American people know that and they know it needs strong legislation that ends it. The current state of affairs at the USA southern border is not the problem of the US House, but, if it continues after legislation is passed then the ownership of such insults to law and human dignity will be placed on those directly responsible.
The USA democracy needs to work the way it was intended to work. If it doesn't then the corruption is obvious and needs to end.
December 6, 2018
By Suzanne Gamboa and Gwen Aviles
Democrats poised to hold committee positions in Congress (click here) that will give them jurisdiction over agencies in charge of keeping immigrants in custody, especially children, said Thursday they plan to step up scrutiny of immigration detention next year.
Democrats won control of the House in November, which means they take over leadership of committees and subcommittees in the next Congress, which opens in early January.
"There's a lot of work to be done," said Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard of California, who as the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations' subcommittee on Homeland Security is in line to become its chairwoman.
On her to-do list: provide better access to legal counsel; use alternatives to detention, particularly for families; ensure that immigration facilities are more regularly inspected; and secure more funding for the hiring of social workers to work with unaccompanied child migrants.
"Mainly it's going to be oversight, pushing for fairness and justice for these immigrants," Roybal-Allard said....
