Okay sorry, yeah all dogs right here for you. We have a lot of week alright we're gonna get started here and yeah. You guys can do your quick, sound Secretary alright just let you guys are getting set up real quickly. I'm jamie from the governor's office just wanna. Let you know um we've got a pretty large group. Care of local legislators and representatives Congress people we're gonna have governor instantly start off and they followed by attorney general Bob ferguson congressman adam Smith, congresswoman suzan congresswoman Go ahead and hand. It off to the other end at the end Good morning our we've gathered here to say one Central message, cruelty to children should not be part of American policy. Intentional infliction of injury to children is below the standards of America in America. The willful infliction of trauma against children, it's not acceptable America is better than this inhumane callous indifference and Today, we're here not just to protect children but to protect our basic character as Americans were here standing for a value statement that, when people legally seek asylum under the laws of United States, they know administration should willfully try to cause trauma to children in order to put to uh pursue their goals. That is unacceptable And we must understand this is not accidental inflection of trauma on children. It is an intentional infliction of trauma on choke and repair any grandparent. Anyone with a drop of blood of their heart and understand the anxiety and the fear and the trauma caused by this location from your parents, particularly those children who frequently we have had to suffer violence. It is the very reason for theirs for their seeking Amnesty so we have Demanded that the United States answer questions about this policy so that we can determine what we can do about it and we're asking anybody with an ounce of respect for American values to speak against it. Now we are speaking against it and I was reminded it's the fiftieth anniversary of losing Bobby Kennedy and something he said stuck with me that's put into this. He asked all of us dinner catered Yourself to ending the sabbath Dream of man and making gentle the life of this world where speaking against the salvage surgery that this dis location policy, that's. Traumatize your children is causing And that they're several children now in the state of Washington who have been subjected subjected this We know that there mothers in this attention Center behind us. We believe we have further information later this press conference about that, but we're gonna see every way to stand up against this injustice. Non proud that our state has been more than pleased to do that on multiple occasions against this administration. This is yet one more way that we are protecting not only American values but Washington values without I'll introduce Bob anderson is gonna great job to stay watch Thank you, governor, thank you for your leadership on this issue and I will be very great there's, a lot of speakers. Um just first the word on the policy is outrageous. Speaking as a father of 10 year old twins, um You know, frankly, I'm not sure how to train general session. Sleeps at night with a policy like this as the attorney general the governor, reference that we're doing our part to solve this mystery Here and possibly say that the San Mike, we are We are examining whether or not we think Bring a lawsuit, challenging this policy. We do not have an announcement today on that. Um deep working very hard but I'm proud to say we've, not lost a case yet against this administration and if we believe And if we believe we have a good legal case that obviously the governor I'll be having a conversation like we often do and uh and we bring it. We think we have a good legal case. Um. I want to thank the governor and we look forward to seeing more answers from the federal government percent of the letter that the governor I sent the other day. Thank you so much. I believe, next step is congressman adam Smith So And these women and the people who have come to the border have come seeking a silent. They have come clean The process, students this administration is refusing to do they're denying these people the basic rights that we as Americans instead we're gonna, give to be that Done they should have the right to seek asylum and be granted if they meet the legal criteria and the last point that I wanna make. One of the most disturbing things about this is our own President seems to be completely clueless about. This palace. If you saw Keep clean somebody Celebrate children Because there is no such Walt make no mistake To be then stop doing it, you are the President you have the power to change this policy in an instant And honor of embarrassment and application, responsibility Women have seen right behind us Sold decision of this administration to do this to instill fear and to intimidate families from seeking refuge in our borders Come County in the northern part of our state. He came up to me after uh Get here we are today we've hit a new low With families being torn apart, families in A special That we reunite these families immediately And that we pass humane, comprehensive immigration reform once and for all. thank Easily separated from their parents for alleged medical reasons Children were scared to death, not knowing whether they will ever see their parents and again now fast for mary anita grew up to marry another Italian boy. They built a wonderfully successful business together. They raised four wonderful children to the successful business man and a successful educator teacher turn principle. There to take away from this the first of which is this is the story of us immigrants built this You are because the better and the second part is the very nina was a strong person. She was quiet Occasion she spoke of that experience as a seven year old child been separated from her parents. It was with pain 70 eighty years later, what we have done here is nothing less than morally reprehensible and fundamentally indecent and it should stop and by the way, I know the story because that teacher principal she raise has been my wife for 42 years. Pala. This has to stop and a fighter tell you, Michael, is the leading On behalf of people in the circumstance, privilege in home won't Thank you so much to all of my colleagues here. Uh I will keep this brief and then say that I can take some questions later. I All of the women that are being held there there are 200 and six individuals who are being held and about 32. I believe our men's so I did not meet with the men but I met with the three pods of all of the women. They come from 16 countries the vast majority of them are seeking political asylum, a huge number of them are mothers whose children were taken away from them when they were Or when they turn themselves in in some cases they turn themselves in asking for political asylum. They literally never had a chance to say goodbye to their children. Some of the children are as young as six. Perhaps younger and literally these women have no idea in the vast majority of the cases where their children are. It was heartbreaking. There were tears, but the thing is that it is so morally wrong. What we are doing to these people. These are individuals who are seeking political asylum, one of them came from a solid or And her children were shot one was killed, one was paralyzed by gang members that is what we are talking about. Women who seek to get them safety and security to their children and to their families and it's something that we Now I wanna say thank which is Well, during the minute free Really referred to the holding places by names such as the box because they're so cold with no blankets, no, mattresses nothing to sleep on nothing to cover themselves in. If they came across the River, they were put into the icebox in the same clothes that they came out of the River in that was one the other was dawg pound. These are the places that I says they're holding and I want to be very clear that this is a federal Bureau of prisons facility and several of the women told us it is first of all just so, everybody understands it's a government facility. It is not contract. It out these are unionized employees and we have Accountability over some of these conditions, many of the women said to us this is the only place they can't A list of all of the names so that our partners the incredible northwest and with our rights project, can make sure that we are getting legal services to them. But I'll just end by saying that for me as a United States member of Congress sitting on the immigration Committee and somebody who has spent the last 20 years of my life fighting for this, we have a lot of work to do and we have to end end this practice of holding these asylum seekers without even illegal opportunity for them to have a credible fear hearing this is wrong. A hundred and two members of Congress that I love last week and all of our members of the delegation, were on this letter said no more money to ice to do Family separation activities that has to stop right now This making this land where we are saying to the people of the world, this is The land of opportunity beyond the golden door, no longer the beacon of hope for the Liberation of humanity instead, trump's America becomes the place where, if you come to us in desperation seeking freedom seeking asylum sinking, the American Dream you're not really sure, run your terrorize willfully intentionally to Italy terrorized and your children are terrorized all of you every single person here and imagine what it would mean to have your child taken from you and then to be put on the plane and flown across an unfamiliar continent And in prison with no idea where your child is that is not our America or America is a place that was created Here's to better humanity to Stand together to the main American be restore That's so proud of these elected officials in of all of you here today for being part of the To take back our country and our dignity and the purpose of this nation, it found out yesterday that our County airport Boeing field is a Asylum seekers of being brought by eyes on charter planes Is not used to perpetuate this mentality So, thank you to all of you for being here today The northwest rights project for April Uh thank you all and thank you to all the elected officials that are here today and I appreciate all the community members that are here and that will be here later today to express our opposition to what's happening behind us. Um. I think we're here to express that outrage to the latest attack the trump administration is taking against immigrants and refugees, but I wanna remind us that this is not that this outrage is not you uh family separation and the massive incarceration of immigrants in the South secrets has been happening for a long time just a half hour from here. They are Attention Center has been operating for years and families have been separated. There as well, and I wanna make sure that even as we confront the crisis that is happening behind us and I can tell you that I had the opportunity Triple our efforts to make sure that the immigration, detention is not happening anywhere in the country and to make sure that we fight back against these policies. Nobody here, but throughout the country, so I will continue working with our staff at the detention Center right now and I'm actually gonna try to do some interviews later with people uh inside but we need to continue the fight not just here but throughout the country and I hope everybody will speak up and make sure that their elected representatives are held accountable if they provide funding for this kind of average. Thank you very much You can use my colleagues instead, they got that executive director of the Central no can I talk a lil good jump in violating the human rights of innocent children. Babies as young as 12 months old are being separated from the their mothers. that You should be consider if you made doctors are saying that the separation will predisposed them to a lifetime of health problems. Nothing our children and parents are being torn apart for one reason, as a mid-term election strategy for trump to mobilize his base, our children are giving been giving up as political Red meat using dog whistle Language saying that they are not like your children, therefore, they are less than human that the zero tolerance policy of separating children from their parents at the border is immoral and sinful. This is not who we are, as a people as many have sent our values are compassion and empathy for the most vulnerable. We call upon women, youth and all people of goodwill to defend our children. We need your help in making calls sending emails Try congressional delegations use your voice visit. These holding sites and shed light on the injustices utilize all of your power to fourth. This administration, to end this cruelty abuses, our children and all children should be the home of the world We're probably doing keep it up My colleagues and inspire me to say this to it's about time that the Republicans get on their hind legs and stand up against donald trump no, the UN recognize this gross violation of human rights, but you don't need the UN. We need destination to stand up and that means Republicans quit being afraid of donald trump and stand up for what you no more is right. Nothing do Okay, I know how we're right you have to ask yourself why would donald trump be so inhumane not to at least tell these mothers where their children are. Why would you possibly want to be so deep the pain and there's a reason for this. It's because they want to He's gonna watch he's gonna do everything you can to stop this. Let's make sure you