In a new letter, Senator Murray, Senate Democrats request clarification from Secretary Azar concerning conflicting reports about number, treatment of migrant children separated from their parents who are in Health Department’s care
Senator Murray to Secretary Azar: “The public, international community, & separated families in particular deserve a clear and humanitarian plan, competent leadership, truthful answers, & an accurate understanding of what your Department is doing to care for and reunify children separated from their families”
Senators also call on Azar to remove Office of Refugee Resettlement Director
ICYMI: Senator Murray demands answers from Trump Health Secretary Azar on safety, reunification of separated children – ENLACE
(Washington DC) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, top Democrat on the Senate health committee which has jurisdiction over the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) where the Office of Refugee Resettlement is housed, sent a letter to Health Secretary Alex Azar questioning the truthfulness of testimony he gave to the Senate Finance Committee regarding HHS’ care of children removed from their parents by the Trump Administration’s “zero tolerance” child separation policy. Joined by Democratic Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), in the letter Senator Murray requested that Secretary Azar return to Congress to clarify possibly inaccurate or misleading statements.
On June 26, Secretary Azar testified that, “there is no reason why any parent would not know where their child is located,” and that HHS has 2,047 separated children in its custody. However, just one week later, Azar stated in a conference call with reporters that there were up to 3,000 children in custody, seemingly contradicting his testimony before Congress. Media reports indicate that many parents of separated children still do not know where their children are, and that their attempts to contact them have been unsuccessful.
“Since the Trump Administration enacted this policy, we have made numerous inquiries seeking simple facts about the number and location of separated children in HHS custody, the physical and mental health care provided to separated children, the conditions and plans for reunifying them with their parents, and HHS policies and procedures. We have received very little, and at times conflicting, information from the Trump Administration,” escribieron los senadores. “These inconsistent answers and the continued lack of a clear plan for the care and reunification of separated children show a glaring lack of leadership.”
Furthermore, Senator Murray expressed deep concern with the poor leadership of Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Director Scott Lloyd and urged Azar to remove him from his position. She noted that Lloyd has virtually no background in refugee resettlement, has not made a single public statement regarding the child separation crisis, and has demonstrated troubling misconduct with respect to the reproductive health rights of young migrant women and girls.
“Accordingly, we urge you to replace Scott Lloyd with a capable and experienced director or acting director and return to Congress as soon as possible to accurately and comprehensively describe HHS’ process for serving separated children and their families,” concluyeron los senadores.
Since reports first surfaced of children being removed and detained separately from their families while attempting to cross the southern U.S. border under President Trump’s recently enacted ‘zero-tolerance’ policy, Senator Murray has called on President Trump to reverse his reckless move and immediately begin reuniting separated children with their families. Senator Murray has continued holding Trump Administration officials’ feet to the fire to end child separations at the border and reunite separated children with their parents, including vocación for Senate hearings about the Health Department’s treatment of the children in its care, and interrogatorio Secretary Azar about the children’s treatment as well as the Health Departments’ plan for reuniting the children with their families.
Full text of today’s letter is available aquí and pasted below:
July 11, 2018
El Honorable Alex M. Azar II
Secretario
Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20201
Estimado Secretario Azar:
We write today to express our deep concern over the matter of your testimony before the Senate Committee on Finance on June 26, 2018, and to urge you to clarify basic information regarding your Department’s care of children separated from their parents under the Trump Administration’s family separation policy.
As a result of President Trump’s family separation policy, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) has taken custody of thousands of children who have been removed from their parents at the Southern border. We are alarmed by the serious and potentially irreparable harm inflicted on these children and their parents due to the family separation policy. Since the Trump Administration enacted this policy, we have made numerous inquiries seeking simple facts about the number and location of separated children in HHS custody, the physical and mental health care provided to separated children, the conditions and plans for reunifying them with their parents, and HHS policies and procedures moving forward. We have received very little, and at times conflicting, information from the Trump Administration. We were therefore eager to hear from you publicly about HHS’ activities.
On June 26, 2018, you testified before the Senate Committee on Finance, during which time you made statements regarding HHS’ activities under the Trump Administration’s family separation policy that conflict with subsequent information shared with Congress and the general public. You testified that, “every parent has access to know where their child is,” and, regarding the location of a separated child, “that information is available to every parent.” You further testified that “there is no reason why any parent would not know where their child is located,” and that “we now have 2,047” separated children in HHS custody.
However, according to a July 2, 2018, Politico article, following your testimony you “called for volunteers to review the case files of each of the roughly 11,900 children in custody to determine whether HHS missed any who had been separated from adults at the border,” suggesting that you were uncertain about the statements you made to the Finance Committee. Indeed, on July 5, 2018, you stated on a conference call with reporters that up to “3,000” – not 2,047 – separated children are in HHS custody. Moreover, as documented in numerous reports from media outlets, immigration advocates, and attorneys, many parents of separated children still do not know where their children are, and their attempts to contact them have been unsuccessful.
These inconsistent answers and the continued lack of a clear plan for the care and reunification of separated children show a glaring lack of leadership. Given your assurances during the Finance Committee hearing that you are doing everything possible to address these concerns, we are disturbed that ORR continues to be led by Scott Lloyd. We have no confidence in the leadership of Mr. Lloyd, who has little to no background in refugee resettlement, has not made a single public statement regarding this crisis under his leadership, and is instead known as an anti-abortion crusader.
The public, international community, and separated families in particular deserve a clear and humanitarian plan, competent leadership, truthful answers, and an accurate understanding of what your Department is doing to care for and reunify children separated from their families. Accordingly, we urge you to replace Scott Lloyd with a capable and experienced director or acting director and return to Congress as soon as possible to accurately and comprehensively describe HHS’ process for serving separated children and their families.
Atentamente,
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