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Democratic governor candidates slam Republicans over Trump administration separating families at border

One is trying to tie Gov. Rick Scott to the policy.
 
Published June 17, 2018

Florida's governor can only do so much to influence federal immigration policy. But you wouldn't know that from the recent proclamations from the Democrats seeking Florida's highest office.

As liberal outrage has swelled in recent days amid reports about the child detention facilities near America's southern border, all five Democratic governor candidates have spoken out about the issue.

More than one have used it as a political cudgel to criticize prominent republicans.

"Yesterday Rick Scott didn't have much to say on this crisis, but in times of moral crisis we need our leaders to step forward," Andrew Gillum, the mayor of Tallahassee, tweeted Sunday.

Gillum's tweet accompanied a video of Gov. Scott calling the migrant buildup, "disturbing" and "disgusting."

"It just shows you that Congress has not done their jobs," Scott, who's running for Senate this year, said. "We need an immigration policy that people understand. we need to secure borders, but we can't have people being treated unfairly."

Congress has for years been unable to pass major immigration reform. But the policy of separating children from parents alleged to have crossed into the country illegally is a relatively new one, implemented by the Trump's executive branch to deter illegal border crossings. A Scott spokeswoman did not immediately respond to questions about Scott's stance on the practice.

Read more: Nelson, Rubio oppose breaking up immigrant families

Orlando businessman Chris King used the issue to hit Republican Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam.

Putnam, who's also running for governor, told Florida Politics recently that, "It's important that we enforce our laws in a humane way. But we need to have secure borders. With secure borders, you would have less of this issue."

That response wasn't good enough for King, who tweeted, "If you won't stand against children being ripped from their nursing mothers you do not deserve to seek public office on our state."

In response to King's comment, a Putnam spokeswoman referred the Times to Putnam's public safety proposal, in which the candidate vowed to crack down on so-called "sanctuary cities," among other things.

A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, Putnam's rival for the Republican nomination, did not respond to a question about whether the congressman supports the Trump administration's family-separating policy.

The other Democratic gubernatorial candidates also harshly criticized the practice.

"The images of immigrant families being torn apart is heartbreaking,
former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine tweeted Sunday.

"I will do everything in my power to end reprehensible policies such as these," south Florida real estate tycoon Jeff Greene told Florida Politics.

And former Congresswoman Gwen Graham laid into Trump.

"There is something wrong with @realdonaldTrump," she tweeted.