Fox News "The Story" - Transcript: Rep. Cuellar on battle over separating families at border
Interview
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SMITH: John Roberts at the White House for us, thank you. Here now, a Texas Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar, whose district includes the Rio Grande Valley, and borders McAllen, the site of one of those controversial child detention centers.
Thank you for joining us tonight, sir. If you could, respond to what you heard there from the Homeland Security secretary as she took the microphone at the White House to try to clarify what appears to be a lot of confusion as to what is happening down at our border.
REP. HENRY CUELLAR, D-TEXAS: All right. I'm still here down here at the border and I spend a lot of time with the Border Patrol folks today. When somebody comes then, keep in mind that from October 1st of 2017 to now, 14,500 kids unaccompanied with no parents have come into the Lower Rio Grande.
14,500, so there is no separation involved because they came in by themselves. Either the family units that came in, in the last five weeks. For example, about 1,100 of them have been separated. 700 of them are-- plus, are now with the HHS. And then, another 436 of them were temporarily separated but they're back with the families because they were taken over to be charged or we call Section 1325, which is coming into the United States without documentations. So we're talking about a small amount.
(CROSSTALK)
SMITH: So, congressman, what are -- so what -- so you're down there and you're witnessing what is happening, you're trying to tell us about that. So, what are you asking for? What do you want to see done? Democrats are pointing the finger at President Trump and his administration for what is happening.
CUELLAR: Wait, you know, keep in mind this law, Section 1325, you come in the first time without documentation. That means that it's a misdemeanor, the second time, third time, it becomes a felony. So, right now, they're charging this is about a 1950 law that Ronald Reagan, Nixon, Bush, Obama, Clinton, never carried this out. They carried it under a civil process.
SMITH: Yes.
CUELLAR: Civil process. So, President Trump is saying, we're going to make it a criminal aspect. And if it's a criminal aspect, that talk to the category about (INAUDIBLE) a child.
(CROSSTALK)
SMITH: Well, what I was asking you about what the Homeland Security secretary said today. And she said she is faithfully enforcing the laws enacted by Congress. It is up to Congress to fix this. Congressman Cuellar, we thank you for your time this morning and appreciate that you're down there trying to see what is happening and try to make it better.
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