Doug Jones: Separating families “is completely contrary to our core American values”

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Doug Jones
Image via Doug Jones Facebook

Alabama’s newly elected Democratic U.S. Senator Doug Jones is joining a growing list of lawmakers who aren’t taking the news of immigrant families being separated at the border lightly.

Jones announced Sunday night  he has plans to cosponsor legislation that aims to halt the separation of immigrant families by preventing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from taking children from their parents at the border. The bill, S.3036, the Keep Families Together Act, was introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein earlier this month

“The Administration’s new policy of ripping apart families by separating innocent children from their parents is completely contrary to our core American values,” said Jones. “As I’ve said, I have been looking at every possible option to stop this policy, to include Senator Feinstein’s legislation. While I plan to sign onto that legislation this week, we have to recognize that it is only a first step and does not offer any long term solutions to the underlying problems.”

He continued, “This cruel policy needs to end now but we need workable solutions that can address this specific problem long-term. While we all wish it were true, there is no easy fix for the underlying problem. That’s why I am also joining my colleagues to call for Senate hearings on this issue as soon as possible so we can better understand what a lasting resolution could look like for these families and negate the detrimental impact to these children.”