JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – U.S. Reps. Al Lawson (D) and John Rutherford (R) of Jacksonville reacted Wednesday to President Donald Trump signing an executive order to keep migrant children with their parents when they cross the southern border illegally.
“So, he was really wrong,” Lawson said. “He was trying to find a way out. It wasn’t necessary. The law does not require him to do that. And so now he’s just trying to find a way, kind of like Michael Jackson, to do the moonwalk, going backwards.”
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On the other side of the spectrum, Rutherford supported Trump’s decision.
“I’m very glad the president has decided to try and end this situation,” Rutherford said. “No one wants to see children separated from their parents. However, we also have to secure our borders.”
Trump made the change in just 24 hours after growing criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, and political and religious leaders outside of the United States.
“I don’t want children taken away from their parents and when you prosecute the parents for coming in illegally, which should happen, you have to take the children away,” Trump said. “We can’t let people pour in. They’ve got to go through the process and maybe it’s politically incorrect or maybe it’s not. We’ve got to stop the separation of the families.”