Mayor Kenney tonight issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s Executive Order on family separation:

“For the past week the Trump administration repeatedly made false statements about the President’s inhumane policy of separating children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border. Today’s Executive Order acknowledges that this was the President’s choice and history will judge his administration accordingly. While the Administration lied, families and children seeking refuge and hope in America were being torn apart. This reminded many of us of the darkest days of our nation’s history when children and mothers were torn apart to uphold the institution of slavery. We don’t know if the families separated at our border will be ever be reunited, but we know that we will never fully recover from this shame, and this trauma will live with them forever.

“As I’ve said before, our communities are safer and stronger when parents are able to care for their children. Many of these families are fleeing terrible circumstances in their home countries and are seeking safety and security through asylum in the United States. While I’m relieved that children will no longer be separated from their parents, family detention is not the answer. There is still work to be done; Congress needs to come together and fix our broken immigration system.”