Chicago City Council Latino Caucus on Friday sounded the alarm about the Trump Administration’s continued imprisonment of children, and again demanded urgent action to reunite families. Nearly three months after a federal judge ordered the reunification of families, children remain separated from their families. “President Trump’s so called ‘zero tolerance’ immigration policy drew outrage over the summer when Americans saw thousands of immigrant children locked in prisons,” said Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36), Chair of the Latino Caucus. “But hundreds of children are still locked up and our country seems to have gotten bored with the issue. We urge members of the Illinois congressional delegation to turn the heat back up on the Trump administration and demand action.”
All indications are that President Trump and his administration are simply unwilling to do what it will take to reunite the remaining children, said Villegas. “President Trump broke the very basic code set forth by the Bible and morality,” said Ald. George Cárdenas (12). “Now he is knowingly breaking the law and that moral code we all live by. We must all voice our outrage, and our representatives in Washington must do more.” “President Trump has been flagrantly breaking the law by incarcerating children for three months,” steamed Ald. Joe Moreno (1). “We cannot stand by and allow this outrage to continue. Our members of Congress and Senators must do whatever it takes to force the Trump administration to comply with the law.”
The City Council’s Latino Caucus includes 12 members from across the city. They represent wards as diverse as Chicago itself. In addition to Chairman Villegas, the Caucus includes Ald. Joe Moreno (1), Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza (10), Ald. George Cárdenas (12), Ald. Raymond Lopez (15), Ald. Ricardo Muñoz (22), Ald. Silvana Tabares (23), Ald. Daniel Solis (25), Ald. Roberto Maldonado (26), Ald. Ariel Reboyras (30), Ald. Milly Santiago (31) and Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35). Chicago’s Clerk Anna Valencia is an ex-officio member of the Latino Caucus.
