March 07, 2023

Rep. Watson Coleman Response to Reports of U.S. Reinstating Migrant Family Detention

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 7, 2023) — Amid reports that the Biden Administration is considering reinstating migrant family detention, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) issued the following statement:

 

“The Trump-era policy of family detention was a stain on our past. It has no place in our future.

"Regardless of which party controls the White House, most Americans agree that locking families in cages is inhumane, immoral, and ultimately ineffective. We must instead explore reasonable options that do not include family detention upon expiration of Title 42.

“Ours is a nation of immigrants who come here seeking freedom from persecution and a better life for their children in our land of opportunity. The United States has historically welcomed immigrants because we recognize our moral imperative to uplift our fellow human beings. To uphold our nation’s reputation as the land of opportunity, we must build an immigration system that puts human rights first."