GOP lawmaker ‘outraged’ after being denied entry to migrant children’s shelter

Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) said Friday that he was “outraged” over being blocked from entering a shelter holding migrant children, despite following the protocols required by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

“Tried to visit an #ImmigrantChildren shelter today. Visit had been confirmed with local operators for over a week,” Curbelo tweeted. “All protocols to request, schedule & get clearance were followed, and yet last night was told by @HHSGov staff in Washington I would be refused entry.”

“Was disappointed when this happened to colleagues last month & @HHSGov excuse was protocol. Outraged today given my office followed ‘protocol.’”

{mosads}

Curbelo went on to say that he would support Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s (D-Fla.) bill requiring HHS to give members of Congress access to migrant children shelters. 

“Executive must not obstruct the legislative branch’s Constitutional authority and responsibility to conduct oversight,” Curbelo said. “Blocking us from doing so only encourages suspicion you have something to hide.”

Tried to visit an #ImmigrantChildren shelter today. Visit had been confirmed with local operators for over a week. All protocols to request, schedule & get clearance were followed, and yet last night was told by @HHSGov staff in Washington I would be refused entry.

— Rep. Carlos Curbelo (@RepCurbelo) July 6, 2018 

Executive must not obstruct the legislative branch’s Constitutional authority and responsibility to conduct oversight. Blocking us from doing so only encourages suspicion you have something to hide @SecAzar.

— Rep. Carlos Curbelo (@RepCurbelo) July 6, 2018

Curbelo’s comments come as multiple lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have shared similar stories of their attempts to visit shelters housing migrant children, who were separated from their families under President Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy. 

The policy, which seeks to aggressively prosecute those found crossing into the U.S. over the southern border illegally, led to the separations of thousands of migrant children from their parents between April and May. Trump, bowing to bipartisan backlash, signed an executive order to stop the family separations last month.

Wasserman Schultz and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) were initially blocked from entering the Homestead Temporary Shelter for Unaccompanied Children in June. Nelson accused the Trump administration of a “cover up” after being denied the ability to survey the living conditions. 

Last week, a federal judge ordered that children under the age of 5 be returned to their parents by Tuesday and all other children be returned by July 26.

The Trump administration responded to that directive on Friday by requesting more time to go through the process of reunifying the families.