CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says he believes many Americans will be horrified if President-elect Donald Trump's plans for mass deportations end up breaking up families.
Durbin prefaced his remarks about the tense immigration debate by saying that if there are undocumented immigrants who have committed violent crimes still in the United States, they should be kicked out.he added, though, that when Immigration authorities start targeting families, everyday people will come to their senses.
“Watch what happens,” he said. “Watch what happens when that debate begins. People are going to come to their senses and leave some of this rhetoric behind them. They’re going to say, ‘Yes, dangerous people, get rid of them, but for God’s sake don’t tear that family apart.’”
He said these are good people who pay taxes and are part of their community. These are real people, the senator said, and they should be treated as such.
Durbin was also asked about proposals by some to limit federal aid to so-called sanctuary cities, which bar police from helping immigration authorities track down and capture undocumented immigrants. Durbin said sanctuary city status is a crime fighting tool.
“Ask a policeman, ask the superintendent, the chief of police: The cooperation of the community is key to solving crimes, and getting cooperation from people who otherwise might not even talk to you but feel safe that they’re not going to be deported if they give you some important information,” he said. “It’s part of solving crimes and reducing violence, so let’s be sensible in the way we approach these things.”
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