Tipsheet

‘Kids Are Being Trafficked’: GOP Rep Explains Why U.S. Border Needs ‘Family Separation’ Policies

Madeline Leesman
Madeline Leesman  |  January 18, 2024 12:30 PM

On Wednesday, Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna got in a fiery exchange with a witness in a House Oversight hearing over the trafficking of children occurring at the U.S.-Mexico border. 

The tense exchange centered around human trafficking at the southern border and how policies surrounding “family separation” prevent this from happening. Townhall has covered how, in some cases, children are brought to the United States by coyotes, who could masquerade as their parents. 

One of the witnesses, David Bier, an associate director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, claimed that the Trump administration caused “intentional trauma” by separating children at the border from their parents. 

“We want family separation,” Luna said, adding that 

“Going back to a statement Mr. Bier had made, you talk about intentional trauma and that the Trump administration caused intentional trauma by separating these children from their ‘parents.’ The fact is, is that, one, you don’t know if these people –– why are you laughing?” Luna said. “Mr. Bier, why are you laughing?”

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“Cause you said, quote unquote parents, as if they weren’t really their parents,” Bier responded. 

“You have no idea… not only have you not been to the border… you have no idea if these people are their intentional parents or not,” Luna said as Bier interjected. 

“We do, we do,” Bier retorted. 

“Really? Are you psychic? Have you won the lotto, Mr. Bier? I don’t think you have” Luna said sarcastically. “You have no idea what you’re doing and you’re hurting these children. The reason why we want family separation until we can confirm if they’re the actual biological parents is because these kids are being trafficked.”

“An open border hurts people on both sides,” she added. 

In a follow-up video, Luna doubled-down on her stance. 

“Family separation allows you to confirm the biological identity of the individual that claims to be related to the individual that they’re bringing across the border,” she explained. “Family separation and biological confirmation saves lives.”