Indiana Republican U.S. Sen. Todd Young has shown compassion by signing on as a co-sponsor to the Protect Kids and Parents Act meant to offset the heartless policy of the Trump Administration that has separated more than 2,000 children from their parents on the U.S.-Mexico border.
The bill, proposed by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, requires that families crossing the border illegally must be kept together, with some reasonable exceptions that involve aggravated criminal conduct or threat of harm to the children such as abuse by the parent or evidence of human trafficking.
It also provides for review of cases within 14 days at which time it will be determined that those who meet legal standards can stay in the United States and those who don’t will be returned to their home country as a family unit. In order to meet that time standard, the bill would double the number of federal immigration judges to about 750, and direct the judges to process claims of those families with children first.
Finally, the bill authorizes new shelters so families can stay in decent places while the parent or parents’ claims are being processed.
This action by Young, who lives in Bloomington, indicates he recognizes the inhumane practice of using children as a negotiating device in the political fight over immigration. We thank him for that.
It’s probably too much to expect that he would also denounce the administration that decided to use children in that manner, but his recognition that this is an urgent and abhorrent situation is worthy of recognition anyway.
On the other side of the aisle, Indiana’s Democratic senator, Joe Donnelly, deserves recognition for co-sponsoring a bill introduced on June 8 by Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., that would ban separation of families unless evidence suggests a child is being trafficked or abused by a parent.