Rally asks Sen. Klobuchar to call on Trump to stop separating families at border

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - Immigration rights activists rallied at the office of United States Senator Amy Klobuchar Wednesday morning in the wake of reports that nearly 1,500 children who came to the U.S. illegally are now unaccounted for.

Three immigrant rights groups sponsored the rally, asking Klobuchar to call on the Trump Administration to stop separating families at the border, a strict enforcement of a policy announced by the Attorney General last month. They are also asking for hearings on alleged abuses of detained immigrants. 

“Down on the southern border, the Trump administration has begun separating children from their mothers and parents as they come to the border asking for asylum, it’s already started,” said Kara Lynum, an immigration attorney. “We know that over 700 families have already been separated, so we’re asking there be congressional overbite hearings so somebody will hold them accountable for that.” 

The rally comes after reports that nearly 1,500 migrant children have gone missing. Many are blaming President Trump for ordering kids to be separated from their illegal immigrant parents. 

The White House and the Department of Health and Human Services officials said those charges are not true. U.S. law already requires children to be separated from parents who cross into the country illegally, even if they are seeking asylum.

Health and Human Services said the kids who allegedly went missing were among about 7,600 children who arrived at the border last year without parents, so they were not separated from them. 

The kids were placed with adult sponsors in the U.S. Most are still living with sponsors, but more than 1,400 are still unaccounted for. 

At the rally, local activists demanded that Klobuchar take action to change immigration procedures and hold hearings in the Senate to find out what happened to this kids.