Gov. Inslee to give $1.2M to immigration rights services

Just hours after President Trump signed an executive order to keep families together at the U.S.-Mexico border, Washington state Governor Jay Inslee called the policy child abuse and announced he will give $1.2 million to support Northwest Immigrant Rights Project’s civil legal aid services.

RELATED: Plenty of media coverage about the border, but what about Obama?

The money will be used to defend immigrant rights and to help families reunite.

“We know that this was an intentional infliction of abusive behavior to punish innocent children,” Inslee said. “It is a form of child abuse.”

The governor said that everyone is entitled to a fair and due process, and to be treated with dignity and respect.

As for Trump’s executive order, Inslee said it’s too late. The damage has been done.

“We have more than 2,300 children separated from their parents today,” Inslee said.

The governor said Trump’s administration has lied about the separation of children from their parents, why they did what they did to the children, lied about who is responsible, and lied about what it will take to reunite families.

Inslee and state Attorney General Bob Ferguson sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Department of Homeland Security head Kirstjen Nielsen for answers about why the policy was enacted and about the location of the children and parents. He said they have not received answers.

Trump said on Wednesday, “We are keeping families together.” But he added the “zero tolerance” policy will continue.

Vice President Mike Pence added that they are calling upon Congress to change the laws. Trump added that the word “compassion” comes into it.

The president has been trying to win over congressional support on immigration amid a crisis along the border involving the separation of immigrant children from their families.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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