Dem senator: If Nielsen doesn’t reunite families, ‘she should resign’

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) on Friday called for Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to resign if she cannot “promptly” reunite the thousands of children who were separated from their parents as a result of President Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy at the border. 

“President Trump’s policy of separating families at the border is deeply immoral and has created an ongoing crisis as thousands of children remain scattered across the country, indefinitely separated from their parents,” Shaheen said in a statement.

“It’s unconscionable that this policy was carried out without any plans or procedures in place to eventually reunite these families,” she said. “Secretary Nielsen is responsible for this callous implementation and if she cannot promptly produce a plan to reunite every child with his or her parents, she should resign.”

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Shaheen joins a growing list of Senators calling out Nielsen for her role in the Trump administration’s separation of families at the U.S.-Mexico border. 

Democratic Sens. Kamala Harris (Calif.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Tammy Duckworth (Ill.) and Tina Smith (Minn.) all called on Nielsen to resign earlier this week. 

Their statements came as President Trump faced increasing scrutiny from Republican and Democratic lawmakers to end his policy at the border. Trump ultimately signed an executive order on Wednesday to halt the practice of separating families. But it remains unclear how or when families will be reunited. 

Trump has defended Nielsen for her role in the administration this week. He tweeted earlier this week that Nielsen did a “fabulous job” explaining the policy in a White House press briefing. 

“Homeland Security @SecNielsen did a fabulous job yesterday at the press conference explaining security at the border and for our country, while at the same time recommending changes to obsolete & nasty laws, which force family separation. We want ‘heart’ and security in America!” he tweeted Tuesday night.

Despite ending the policy, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on Thursday tweeted that Nielsen privately told lawmakers the practice of separating families could resume. 

“Congress must ensure that NEVER happens,” Schiff tweeted. “I’m urging the House Appropriations Committee to prevent funds from ever being used to separate families entering the US.”