Political Quotes

On the recordJune 28, 2018
I thank my colleagues Senator Tom Udall and Senator Richard Blumenthal for joining me to visit the southwest border last week. We went to the border to seek answers and to demand accountability for the very real human impacts of President Trump's cruel and unnecessary policy of separating children from their parents. The permanent trauma these policies are inflicting on parents and their innocent children, many of whom are refugees who are fleeing violence and seeking asylum, is inhumane and horrific. Taking thousands of children--some as young as infants and toddlers--away from their parents and detaining them as a form of punishment or deterrence is ineffective and morally indefensible. After all, under the rule of law, refugees who flee violence have a right to request asylum. As of now, only about 500 children of the over 2,000 children in custody have been reunited with their families since President Trump signed an Executive order last Wednesday that ended his family separation policy. There is still no clear plan from the White House that ensures all children will be reunited with their families. This is simply unacceptable. This crisis was born from malice, and, frankly, it has been inflamed by incompetence. As an American and as a father, I will not just sit by. What we saw last Friday along the border, which has been ground zero for President Trump's so-called zero tolerance policies, has had a profound impact on me.…
Said by
Martin Heinrich
Democratic · New Mexico

Share

More from Martin Heinrich

Jul 14, 2026

I’ll keep holding this administration accountable, calling attention to the real toll these rising prices are taking on working families, and pushing for solutions that bring down costs and provide meaningful relief.

heinrich.senate.gov
Jul 16, 2026

My dad was an IBEW lineman, and he spent his career working on the grid that kept our community firm. Because he had a good union job, he could reliably provide for my family, buy a home, and give myself and my siblings opportunities that…

heinrich.senate.gov
Jul 14, 2026

“As the son of an IBEW lineman, I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing a resolution recognizing Journeyman Lineworkers Day,” said Heinrich, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

heinrich.senate.gov
Jul 12, 2026

We passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act because too many New Mexicans are being priced out of a place to live.

heinrich.senate.gov

Other voices in this conversation