Adler and Council members in Tornillo to protest ‘tent city’

Mayor Steve Adler is in Tornillo today to visit the “tent city” there that is housing children who have been separated from their families at the border. From a press release from the mayor’s office about the trip: “President Trump’s recently implemented ‘zero-tolerance’ immigration policy, which includes separating children from their parents as they try to cross the border to seek asylum, stands in stark contrast to the ideals of our nation. It is immoral, un-American, it is hurting families without justification, and it needs to change. This (is) a defining moment for our country.” Adler will be part of a delegation of mayors, including Mayor Steve Benjamin from Columbia, South Carolina, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, from the United States Conference of Mayors. Eight Council members are also in attendance, and a press conference is planned for 9 a.m. Council members Ellen Troxclair and Ora Houston are not on the trip. The mayors also adopted a policy resolution at their last conference to register their opposition to the U.S. immigration policies that resulted in the separation of families. The president signed an executive order on Wednesday afternoon to stop separating families, however, it’s unclear how this will immediately affect the children who are currently housed in the tents in Tornillo.