WHEREAS, Neither the administrations of former President
George W. Bush nor Barack Obama adopted this interpretation of
those agreements; and
WHEREAS, The Trump Administration's unilateral change in
policy has resulted in more than 2,000 children being physically
separated from their parents over a six-week period, with more
than 100 of those separated children being younger than 4 years
of age, according to the Department of Homeland Security figures
cited by numerous media; and
WHEREAS, In one facility in Texas, more than 1,100
undocumented migrants were detained with 200 of those detainees
being unaccompanied children; and
WHEREAS, There have been widespread reports and photographic
evidence of children being housed in fenced-in shelters or
makeshift facilities; and
WHEREAS, The Trump Administration policy has been roundly
criticized by Democrats, Republicans, clergy, advocates and
others as cruel, harsh, immoral and inhumane; and
WHEREAS, The United Nations Human Rights Office of the High
Commissioner condemned the practice of separating immigrant and
refugee children from their parents at the border as "a serious
violation of the rights of the child" on June 5, 2018; and
WHEREAS, Senator Diane Feinstein, on June 7, 2018, introduced
S. 3036, known as the "Keep Families Together Act," to prevent
the United States Department of Homeland Security from
separating immigrant children from their parents at the border,
and similar legislation is pending before Congress; therefore be
it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
urge Congress to enact Federal legislation pending in the United
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