De Blasio to attend immigrant family separation protest at U.S.-Mexico border

Mayor Bill de Blasio will join several other mayors from around the country on Thursday in an attempt to access an immigration detention center for children along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The trip, organized by the United States Conference of Mayors, will include mayors from both parties who will travel to Tornillo, Texas, about 40 miles southeast of El Paso. They intend to tour the Tornillo Migrant Children’s Facility.

De Blasio said on Tuesday that he had spoken to Stephen Benjamin, the president of the United States Conference of Mayors, and the mayor of Columbia, South Carolina.

The decision to attend the event was announced following the mayor’s visit to an East Harlem foster care facility on Wednesday after he learned the nonprofit is caring for immigrant children who were separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The Mayor will travel to the border town of Tornillo, Texas this afternoon. He and mayors from across the country will attempt to gain access to the detention facility at the Marcelino Serna entry point tomorrow morning.
— Eric Phillips (@EricFPhillips) June 20, 2018

“Who are these children? How many are they? Where are they? What is happening here?” de Blasio said, expressing frustration that the federal government placed the children in foster homes without the city’s knowledge.

The participating mayors, including from Los Angeles, Gary, Indiana, and El Paso, are expected to arrive at the facility around 9 a.m. mountain time and hold a news conference after they tour the detention center.

De Blasio will return to New York City Thursday evening.