In Twitter Thread, Rep. Jayapal Rips Trump's "Wild Claims and Lies" on Manufactured Border Crisis
Democratic lawmaker's criticism comes on heels of House hearing in which she butted heads with acting attorney general over administration's "horror of family separations"
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) took to social media on Monday to debunk President Donald Trump's "wild claims and lies" about asylum-seekers at the southern border.
The congresswoman's morning Twitter thread comes as another Democrat--California Gov. Gavin Newsom--refuses to be part of Trump's "political theater" and is set to order the withdrawal of the majority of the state's National Guard troops now at the border.
Japaypal, referencing data on the number of people being processed under the current administration, suggests, "Trump doesn't want asylum seekers processed anywhere."
\u201cTHREAD: Let's break down wild claims & lies of Trump & GOP around "surge" of migrants & therefore their demand for more money for processing of these migrants at the border. This piece (https://t.co/R5fcqcGxn9) from libertarian @CatoInstitute does it. Ready? Here we go. (1)\u201d— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@Rep. Pramila Jayapal) 1549896945
\u201c(2) In Dec '18, DHS Sec. Nielsen testified that border ports had reached "capacity," & couldn't process asylum seekers--as a result, they "limited" asylum processing.\nBUT govt data shows those same ports admitted 2x as many undoc immigrants in Oct 2016 as they did in Dec 2018.\u201d— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@Rep. Pramila Jayapal) 1549896945
\u201c(3) In fact, undocumented arrivals at border actually FELL 9% from Oct 2016 to Dec 2018.\n\nYET, @DHSgov halved the shared of migrants processed from 32% to 16%.\u201d— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@Rep. Pramila Jayapal) 1549896945
\u201c(4) DHS Inspector Gen said the processing limit could've INCREASED # of people who come ILLEGALLY, writing that it \u201csaw evidence that limiting volume of asylum-seekers entering at ports of entry leads some aliens who would otherwise seek legal entry to cross border illegally.\u201d\u201d— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@Rep. Pramila Jayapal) 1549896945
\u201c(5) Trump claims a record number of families & children now.\n\nBUT the number of families & children is down 43% from Oct. 2016 to Dec. 2018.\n\nYET detention beds went UP from 34,000 to 45,000 to the current almost 48,000.\u201d— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@Rep. Pramila Jayapal) 1549896945
\u201c(6) What a farce Trump's whole "crisis on the border" is. The only crisis is the humanitarian crisis of asylum seekers trying to seek asylum legally--which is their right and our responsibility--and being turned away. Trump doesn't want asylum seekers processed anywhere.\u201d— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@Rep. Pramila Jayapal) 1549896945
The Washington Democrat's thread comes days after she lambasted "the horror of family separations that occurred at the border" as she grilled Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker during a congressional hearing on Friday.
While Whitaker at one point falsely claimed there "was no family separation policy," Jayapal said: "So these parents were in your custody, your attorneys are prosecuting them, and your department was not tracking parents who were separated from their children."
"Do you know what kind of damage has been done to children and families across this country? Children who will never get to see their parents again?" Jayapal asked. "Do you understand the magnitude of that?"
\u201cDo you know what kind of damage has been done to children and families across the country? Children who will never get to see their parents again. Do you understand the magnitude of that? This is about more than my passion. This is about the children's future, Mr. Whitaker.\u201d— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@Rep. Pramila Jayapal) 1549658653
