JD Vance declines to rule out the use of family separations if Trump is re-elected

Sen. JD Vance declined on Friday to rule out the use of family separations if he and Trump win back the White House.

SAN DIEGO — Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance declined on Friday to rule out the use of family separations — a policy from Donald Trump’s first term in office — if he and the former president win back the White House, even as Homeland Security officials are currently working to reunify over 1,000 children with their families. 

“When the media says family separation, look — every time that somebody’s arrested for a crime, that’s family separation,” Vance told NBC News speaking with reporters during a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border. 

“If a guy commits gun violence and is taken to prison, that’s family separation, which, of course, is tragic for the children, but you’ve got to prosecute criminals, and you have to enforce the law,” he continued. “The real family separation policy is when you don’t enforce the border, like Kamala Harris has refused to do.” 

The Trump campaign has brought the issue of border security to the forefront of their messaging, honing much of its fire on President Joe Biden’s administration for its handling of the southern border — despite illegal crossings falling to their lowest number of Biden’s term in June.

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J .D. Vance speaks to reporters in front of the border wall with Mexico on Sept. 06, 2024 in San Diego, California. Justin Sullivan / Getty ImagesIn a televised town hall in May 2023, Trump also declined to say whether he would eschew the separation policy, despite describing it as “harsh.” 

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/jd-vance-declines-family-separations-trump-rcna170006

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