WATCH: Nielsen 'not familiar' with how toxic stress harms separated families

"There are a lot of lawyers in this room," said Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., as she began to question Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen about the practice of separating immigrant children from their parents. "And I'm not a lawyer, I'm a nurse." Underwood asked Nielsen several yes or no questions about whether DHS considered the physical and mental health of the children when they began family separation. Nielsen said she was not familiar with the idea of toxic stress, nor that it can change a child's developing brain, but broke in repeatedly to interject that kids should be with their families, and that parents shouldn't break U.S. law.
Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: to.pbs.org/2Jb...
Find more from PBS NewsHour at www.pbs.org/ne...
Subscribe to our RUclips channel: bit.ly/2HfsCD6
Follow us:
Facebook: www.pbs.org/new...
Twitter: / newshour
Instagram: / newshour
Snapchat: @pbsnews
Subscribe:
PBS NewsHour podcasts: www.pbs.org/ne...
Newsletters: www.pbs.org/ne...