Educating the President on DACA

In 2017, Scott sent a bipartisan letter to President Trump, requesting a meeting to discuss immigration priorities, like DACA, and how San Diegans do not support a border wall. Scott was one of a few Democrats to be invited to the meeting in January. It is paramount that the President understands the border and what San Diegans really need to be safe and host a world-class border crossing.

Emergency Relief for Migrants

In 2019, Scott helped pass emergency supplemental funds to provide for relief for migrants at the border. The funding will be used to enhance medical care for migrants, alleviate conditions at temporary facilities at the border, and ensure unaccompanied children will be taken care of after arriving in the United States. The funding also provided $30 million to reimburse local communities who took care of migrants coming through the border. San Diego County and Jewish Family Services received $2.4 million for their services. In the summer of 2019, our country experienced a mass influx of migrants seeking refuge. Congress supported additional funding to address abhorrent conditions at temporary facilities along the border, which were never intended to be used for long-term use, nor were they fit for families.

Protections for Migrant Children

In 2019, Scott introduced the Ensuring Conditions are Humane by Oversight (ECHO) Act, a bill to stop the Trump Administration’s efforts to improperly treat migrant children and hide those efforts on military bases. Reports showed the President was preparing to move detained migrant children onto military bases, which could hinder access from inspectors and other government watchdogs who need to verify safe housing and treatment. His bill language would have ensured that surprise inspections of these detention facilities would still be available, and the bill language was included in the House version of the FY20 NDAA. San Diegan’s see the problems and opportunities at the border every day, and any detained children must be cared for transparently and safely.