Ted Cruz introducing legislation to keep migrant families together

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, announced Monday that he plans on introducing legislation this week to keep migrant families together. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, announced Monday that he plans on introducing legislation this week to keep migrant families together. Photo: Carolyn Kaster, STF Photo: Carolyn Kaster, STF Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Ted Cruz introducing legislation to keep migrant families together 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Senator Ted Cruz said he is planning on introducing legislation this week to keep migrant families together.

"All Americans are rightly horrified by the images we are seeing on the news, children in tears pulled away from their mothers and fathers," Cruz said in a statement. "This must stop. Now. We can end this crisis by passing the legislation I am introducing this week."

The senator said he will introduce the "Protect Kids and Parents Act," which will double the number of federal immigration judges, create new temporary "shelters," review asylum cases within 14 days, and "mandate that illegal immigrant families must be kept together."

"Repeatedly, I have visited detention facilities tragically housing young children," Cruz added. "For far too long, children have been the greatest victims of our broken immigration system, with tens of thousands of children who were detained under the Obama Administration and continuing through today, and with far too many of those children facing horrific physical or sexual assault from criminal human traffickers."

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"While these cases are pending, families should stay together," he said. "Children belong with their mothers and fathers. Once their cases have been adjudicated – under my legislation, in no longer than 14 days – those who meet the legal standard should be granted asylum and those who don't should be immediately returned to their home country."

"We can fix this," Cruz said. "If my Democratic colleagues will join me, not play politics but work to solve the problem, we can start to end family separation this week. And, we can honor the rule of law."

Cruz' proposed legislation comes a week after defending Trump's policy of family separation in an interview with Dallas public radio station KERA.

"There's actually a court order that prevents keeping the kids with the parents when you put the parents in jail," Cruz said last Monday. "So when you see reporters, when you see Democrats saying don't separate kids from their parents, what they're really saying is don't arrest illegal aliens."

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The practice of separating migrant families began in April when Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a new "zero-tolerance" policy prosecuting 100 percent of illegal border crossings.

"We are not going to let this country be invaded," he said at the time. "If you are smuggling a child, then we will prosecute you and that child will be separated from you as required by law. If you don't like that, then don't smuggle children over our border."

During a six-week period in April and May after the policy was implemented, nearly 2,000 children were separated from their parents. As of last week, 11,423 migrant children are currently in custody, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

This is a developing story.

Fernando.ramirez@chron.com

Twitter.com/fernramirez93