Sen. Baldwin: Family Separation Is Like Govt 'Kidnapped 2,300 Kids'

Sen. Tammy Baldwin said Friday that it should not take Congress to reunite immigrant children with their families.

"It shouldn't take legislation from Congress to have these children reunited with their families, but if it does, that's what we need to do and we need to do it quickly," Baldwin, D-Wis., said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

"It's ridiculous. There are numerous crises we have to deal with, not the least of which is essentially—it's like the U.S. government has kidnapped 2,300 kids, and we have to figure out a way to reunite those children - many at a very, very young age - with their parents," Baldwin said in the interview.

President Donald Trump's administration has developed a "pattern of using children as pawns for political results," Baldwin said. "This is about a wall, the Dreamers (issue) was about a wall, delaying reauthorization and funding of the Child Health Insurance Program was also about a wall."

Trump "can't take yes for an answer, because we've offered it before," Baldwin added.

"The political ramifications are huge, but the trauma that these children are going through

is lasting and horrific," Baldwin said.

Baldwin said that she had signed on to an effort by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., to reunite the families. Feinstein is working with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on a bipartisan effort to address the migrant families crisis.

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