Homeland Security Secretary Kristjen Nielsen's continued defense of separating families at the U.S.-Mexican border is prompting calls for her resignation.
The charge was led on Monday by California Senator Kamala Harris, who issued a statement and tweeted a petition for Nielsen to resign over her role in the Trump's administration zero-tolerance immigration policy that has separated over 2,000 migrant children from their families.
"She's not equipped to do the job the way it needs to be done," Harris, a Democrat, told MSNBC. "It's gotta stop. Full stop."
At least 10 members of Congress say Nielsen should quit as her agency enforces the administration's zero tolerance policy, which has resulted in more than 2,000 children being separated from their parents at the U.S. border since April. Many are crossing the border to seek asylum.
The calls came as ProPublica released audio of children crying inside one detention facility as a Border Patrol agent jokes, "Well, we have an orchestra over here." Children are heard repeating calls for their parents.
On Monday, Nielsen told reporters repeatedly that the department is no longer tolerating loopholes in the law, which "create a functionally open border. Apprehension without detention and removal is not border security," she said.
Many critics point out that it is not a law, but just a policy than can easily be reversed.
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