Feinstein: Trump immigration policies ‘cruel and arbitrary’

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) issued a statement calling President Trump’s immigration policies “cruel and arbitrary” on Thursday, following a report that an Oakland, Calif., family had been separated by a deportation order.

“The cruel and arbitrary nature of President Trump’s immigration enforcement policies is captured in the heartbreaking story of the Sanchez family,” Feinstein said in the statement.

Immigration officials told Oakland nurse Maria Mendoza-Sanchez and her husband, Eusebio, who illegally entered the U.S. 23 years ago, on May 23 that they had three months to make arrangements to return to Mexico, according to a San Francisco Chronicle story.

{mosads}They will depart for Mexico on Tuesday, along with their 12-year-old son, but must leave their three older daughters — aged 16, 21 and 23 — behind in the U.S.

“Maria and Eusebio Sanchez have lived in this country for more than 20 years. They are hardworking parents raising four children, three citizens and one protected by [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals]. They have no criminal records. They pay taxes, own their home and contribute to this country. These are the kind of people we should welcome into the United States with open arms,” Feinstein said.

“Instead, the family has been notified that they must leave the country by Tuesday,” she added.

Trump’s executive orders on immigration have led to a surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests and deportations and led to a nearly 40 percent increase in just the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency.

ICE acting Director Thomas Homan said these statistics reflect Trump’s commitment to “enforce our immigration laws fairly and across the board.”

Trump has cracked down on illegal immigration since taking office, prioritizing deportation and pushing back against “sanctuary cities,” which harbor immigrants who entered the country illegally. The crackdown is part of a campaign pledge on immigration reform.