Congress gave the Trump administration more than $400 million in February to address humanitarian concerns at the border and more will likely be approved, but it is "not acceptable" for migrants to be treated the way they are, Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin said Wednesday.
"I've been there since in the last five or six weeks, you know, in El Paso, and the situation down there is gruesome and inhumane," the Illinois lawmaker told CNN's "New Day." "It is not acceptable in the United States for people to be treated this way. I think the Department of Homeland Security knows that."
The DHS has asked for more money, and Durbin said he can comment "without fear of contradiction" that the money will be provided, as Democrats feel the migrants should be treated humanely while going through the legal process.
"In addition, we need more immigration court judges," Durbin said. "The president's longest shutdown of our government in history shut down the immigration courts at exactly the wrong moment. In addition to that, we've got to come down hard on the smugglers and transporters who are exploiting these people."
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is expected to propose $4.5 billion in funding for different immigration-related actions, CNN noted, and Durbin said Democrats will likely support the measures, even if there are differences in policy.
"When it comes down to it we demand the humane treatment of children," said Durbin. "We had too many children die at our border who shouldn't have died."
Durbin added that there will be a rider on the money specifying that it will be used for what it's appropriated for, as President Donald Trump is "raiding funds right and left to build his almighty wall."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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