LITTLE ROCK — Representative Michael John Gray, Democratic Party of Arkansas Chairman, released this statement following Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen comments today in the White House Press Briefing.

“The silence from our congressional delegation, our governor, and our state Republican Party demonstrates their inability and their lack of desire to stand up to this administration. The crisis on our country’s Southern border should require compassion and swift legislative action, yet while families continue to be separated and young children sit in cages, our elected officials in Washington and in Little Rock remain unwilling to act.

“Without further delay, they should join the growing number of bipartisan members of Congress in calling for  Attorney General Jeff Sessions to halt the DHS policy of family separation at the southern border immediately as Congress works towards possible legislative solutions.

“Secretary Nielsen cited this policy as law, which it isn’t. Their goal was clearly to deter illegal border crossings by any means necessary. This administration must stop lying to the American people. They created this problem when Attorney General Sessions announced, with glee, this policy less than a month ago. Though Arkansas Republicans have yet to make any public statement about the policy, many other Republicans have found to be unacceptable and former First Lady Laura Bush so poignantly deemed it as both ‘cruel’ and “immoral.’

“Any legislator or elected official not willing to oppose this inhumane policy is complicit in its immorality.”