Rep. Scott Peters joined Democratic colleagues on the House floor to demand the Trump Administration end its practice of separating children and their parents who come to America seeking asylum.

“In our country, family is an institution. It shapes every aspect of our lives. Today, family—that concept—is being torn apart and challenged at our own borders. Screaming children are being ripped from their mother’s arms,” said Peters, who represents the 52nd District.

“These parents are fleeing government violence, domestic violence, religious persecution. They follow generations of people who came to America, seeking a better life,” he said.

The practice has drawn criticism from religious groups as well. The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called the policy “immoral” at the group’s annual meeting on Wednesday.

The Trump administration instituted the practice to try to dissuade families from seeking asylum in the United States, and justified it by claiming that laws passed during the Obama administration required it. A “tent city” is being built in Texas to house the children.

On Thursday, Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions quoted the Bible to defend the practice. “I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13, to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained them for the purpose of order,” Sessions said.