Chula Vista Councilwoman Pat Aguilar said she has read the news stories of children being ripped out of the arms of parents seeking asylum at the U.S. border.
Near the conclusion of Tuesday’s Chula Vista City Council meeting, a choked-up Aguilar requested putting a resolution on the July 10 council meeting addressing separation of families by federal immigration officials.
“Anytime you forcibly take children away from their parents, I think to most people that’s an emotional issue. How could it not be?” Aguilar said in an interview Wednesday.
The federal policy separating families was ordered earlier this year by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who had announced a zero-tolerance policy of referring all border crossings for federal criminal prosecution, which leads to children being separated as their parents are sent to jail.
Aguilar understands the issue was a federal order, but she said she wanted to do something locally for Chula Vista residents.
“Chula Vista is not just a physical place,” she said in an interview Wednesday about why she made the request. “It’s a city with a culture and values and we, the City Council, are beginning to speak up for those values.”
