House Democratic group wants end to family detention

Five Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington state — Reps. Suzan DelBene, Adam Smith, Rick Larsen, Jim McDermott and Derek Kilmer — joined 131 other House Democrats in calling on the Obama administration to end to the practice of family detention. "We believe it is undeniable that detention in a secure facility is detrimental to mothers and children and is not reflective of our values as a nation," the group's letter says. Prior to last Spring, reports The New York Times, refugees fleeing extreme gang violence in countries like Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras would be released on a bond while they awaited their asylum hearings. Instead, the refugees, including whole families, are now being placed in detention centers that sound an awful lot like prison. "We have the opportunity to do the right thing," the letter says, "and are confident that DHS has the capacity to honor our Nation's longstanding commitment both to the protection and well-being of refugee families and to law enforcement and public safety."