Trump administration's anti-immigrant policies under the microscope in simultaneous congressional hearings

The Trump administration’s anti-immigrant and anti-child policies will be under the microscope in as many as four congressional hearings on Wednesday, starting with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen’s long-awaited appearance before the House Homeland Security Committee.

There is an emergency all right, but it’s the stolen migrant children who continue to remain in U.S. custody, in blatant violation of a federal judge’s order. Why Nielsen or Health and Human Services Sec. Alex Azar haven’t been held in contempt already, only the judge knows. Democrats, now in charge in the House, are demanding accountability.

“The items that are top of the line for me are the family separation policy,” said Illinois Representative Lauren Underwood, the committee’s vice chair. “It’s either she was negligent, unaware or knew the effects on the children. None of those options are acceptable.” Also in the House, DHS’s inspector general is set to testify to the Appropriations Committee, where members may also discuss family separation.

In the Senate, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin McAleenan will testify before the Judiciary Committee, where he will no doubt be questioned about the deaths of two children while in CBP custody last December. Republicans will probably deflect to a wall and supposed dangerous immigrants while continuing to ignore realities like the attacks on asylum seekers.

The new Democratic House also pledged to pass meaningful legislation to protect immigrants under threat by the Trump administration, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Temporary Protected Status, and Deferred Enforced Departure recipients. Nearly 100 beneficiaries will be meeting with members that day to share their stories, while a smaller group are expected to attend a Judiciary Committee hearing to press for protections.

House Democrats pledged a new era of oversight following their historic win in November, and today is a reminder there’s a lot of work to be done and damage to mend. "It's going to be a day where the sunlight shines on what the Trump administration has been doing," said Ali Noorani of the National Immigration Forum. "It's long past time that the administration has had to answer some real questions."