Both 4th District Congress Candidates Against Border Separation

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Both Rep. Chris Smith, the Republican 4th District congressman, and Josh Welle, the Democrat who wants to unseat him in November, have come out this week against President Donald Trump's policy of separating children from their parents at U.S. border crossings.

"There is nothing more important than protecting vulnerable children from physical and psychological harm. The policy of forcibly separating children from their parent or parents at the U.S. border is seriously wrong, hurts families, and needs to immediately end," Rep. Chris Smith posted on his Facebook page Tuesday. "The Departments of Justice and Homeland Security must halt the practice of family separations, except in the cases of criminal felonies by an adult including rape, murder, sexual assault on a minor, or human trafficking. Without delay, Congress must pass legislation to permanently prohibit the egregious practice of family separation."

On Wednesday afternoon, President Trump said he would sign an executive order to end the practice of separating children from their parents, but some 2,000 children have already been displaced from their families, according to the latest figures from the Department of Homeland Security. The policy of separating children from illegal immigrant parents occurred occasionally during the Obama administration, but it has markedly increased under Trump. That is because in the spring of this year, Trump started a "zero tolerance" policy at the border, where any adult caught crossing illegally would be federally prosecuted. Under U.S. law, an adult charged with a crime cannot keep their children with them. Obama previously did not prosecute adults housed with children; instead, they were taken to family detention centers. Trump has been prosecuting all adults accused of crossing illegally. But on Wednesday, he said his administration's policy of taking children away from parents was wrong and needs to stop.

Welle, a Democrat who wants to unseat Smith, used the issue as a chance to attack Smith on Wednesday.

"People need to know Rep. Chris Smith is the 4th most senior and 435th most influential member of the House. Smith’s empty 89-word statement on immigration policy is an insufficient response for a 38-year incumbent. We must see an immediate, proactive response from leaders in Washington. Smith should be both visible and accessible to his constituents during this crisis; and I call on our congressman to host a town hall to explain why Congress is not advancing American ideals," said Welle, in a statement released by his campaign on Wednesday.

“The crisis happening at the border was at the forefront of people's concerns. If the Congressman actually spoke to his constituents as much as he claims, he would know that a two-sentence sound bite is insufficient in solving this crisis," said Welle Campaign spokesperson, Nathan Cornell.

Welle will be speaking at a #FamiliesBelongTogether rally Saturday, June 30th at 11 a.m. in Riverside Gardens Park in Red Bank.

Do YOU live in New Jersey's Fourth Congressional District?

Chris Smith has represented New Jersey's 4th District for decades, since 1981. He's a staunch Republican, and the area is reliably Republican, having voted for Republican presidents in the past four elections: Trump, Romney, McCain and Bush.

The 4th District includes nearly all of Monmouth County, from part of Middletown and Holmdel on south, into Colts Neck, Freehold, Jackson, Plumstead and Point Pleasant in Ocean County and a small sliver of Mercer County (Hamilton and Robbinsville).

But there is a strong progressive element to the fourth district as well, and some think 2018, riding a blue wave of anti-Trump sentiment, could be the year a Democrat could finally unseat Smith.

The election will be Nov. 6.