Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) responded Tuesday to Sen. Jeff Merkley's (D., Ore.) trip to a border detention center for the children of illegal immigrants, saying the notion of the U.S. abusing children was "absurd" but calling the situation "not ideal."
The Trump administration in May began enforcing a "zero tolerance" policy on people illegally crossing the border, prosecuting any in violation. Those traveling with their children are separated from them during legal proceedings, NBC News reports.
Merkley livestreamed his efforts to enter a Texas holding facility for such children on Sunday, and he said he was denied entry because no one wanted the public to see what was happening inside.
"If a member of Congress wants to see what's happening in a facility because we have oversight over the money that's being spent, they should be allowed to do so, and there's a process for doing that," Rubio said on Fox News. "These are human beings. This is not a field trip. It's not a zoo where you can go and look at people, and these people deserve some level of dignity."
Rubio said the situation at the border was "ridiculous" and "very sad," but he said the notion the U.S. is mistreating people was "absurd."
"No one's being abused, but this is not ideal," he said. "We don't have a system set up to handle this, which is why the best thing is to prevent this. People should not try to come here illegally with their minor children, because it's not good for them, it's not good for us, it's not good for anybody except human traffickers and the people taking advantage of them."
Rubio said the only other choice for the Trump administration under the law was to immediately release parents and children illegally crossing the border.
"Here's the better solution for everyone, including these migrants who I know are desperate in trying to flee these situations," he said. "Let's help the countries they're coming from make life better there, and also, let's make clear that if you get to the United States, you're not going to be allowed to cross."
Even as his administration enforced the policy, President Donald Trump tweeted Democrats needed to be pressured to change the "horrible" border laws separating children from their parents.
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