Make no mistake: Through her votes to confirm both Jeff Sessions as attorney general and Kirstjen Nielsen as secretary of homeland security, Sen. Susan Collins shares the blame for the humanitarian crisis on our southern border.
Until 2016, refugees and asylum-seekers were admitted to the U.S. following the vetting system established in the Refugee Act of 1980. This entailed programs designed to provide sanctuary, and after significant screening, either assist in resettlement to promote self-sufficiency or deport applicants if they were disqualified.
Applicants presented themselves either from within the U.S. or at a port of entry, and lived in the U.S. while cases were processed. They were not arrested. They were not detained without good reason. They were not placed in concentration camps, tent cities in the desert or cages; parents and children were not separated.
In contrast, the current chaos is created compliments of the Department of Homeland Security, until recently directed by Trump appointee Nielsen and under the auspices of Sessions, with his disastrous zero-tolerance policy. This quiet policy change began criminally prosecuting all adults crossing the border rather than acknowledging their legal status as applicants for asylum.
The exposed enactment of this policy led to national and international outcries against the cruel and, as yet, unresolved family separation disaster. Surely we can update our asylum system without the purposeful orchestration of inhumane conditions for innocent families who arrive desperately seeking our help.
When speaking in favor of Jeff Sessions, Collins said she could “vouch confidently for the fact that (he) is a person of integrity, a principled leader, and a dedicated public servant,” and attested to his being not only her trusted colleague but also her good friend.
Perhaps Sen. Collins should choose her friends more carefully.
Perhaps Mainers will choose their senator more carefully in 2020.
Laura Lander
Harpswell
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