House Democrat accuses Nielsen of lying under oath to Congress

Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.) accused Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen of lying to Congress under oath when Nielsen said she was unaware of any migrants deported without the chance to bring their children with them.

“This is a lie,” she said of Nielsen’s claim. “Lying to Congress under oath is a felony. The last person who did that is going to prison.”

“Consistent with longstanding practice and the law, before we deport any alien after they have gone through the process and received a final order of removal, we do ask them if they would like to take their children with them,” Nielsen said.

{mosads} “There was no parent who has been deported, to my knowledge, without multiple opportunities to take their children with them,” she added. 

This is a lie.

Lying to Congress under oath is a felony.

The last person who did that is going to prison. https://t.co/bbjVS4uGGc

— Kathleen Rice (@RepKathleenRice) March 6, 2019 

.@SecNielsen confirms that she’s aware of parents who have been separated from their children & deported without them, but says “there was no parent who has been deported to my knowledge without multiple opportunities to take their children with them.” pic.twitter.com/i63tlQkYuN

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 6, 2019

Administration officials in June acknowledged in court that 463 parents who were separated from their children ages 5 and older at the border were deported without their children. 

Officials asserted, however, that all of the parents chose to give up custody of their children. 

Nielsen testified before the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday. On that committee, Rice is the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation and Operations. 

Rice appeared to have alluded to former Trump attorney Michael Cohen in her tweet. Cohen, who testified before the House last week, has been convicted of lying to Congress and will soon go to prison. 

The Hill has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.