A bill by Livingston County’s representative in U.S. Congress demanding the humane treatment of migrants has passed the House with bipartisan support.

8th District Democrat Elissa Slotkin’s Short Term Detention Standards Act passed through the House of Representatives, Thursday, with support from both sides of the aisle. The bill requires that Customs and Border Protection provide migrants access to appropriate temporary shelters with bathroom and shower facilities, water, appropriate nutrition, hygiene, personal grooming items, and sanitation needs. Slotkin introduced the bill as a response to reports that migrants and children at the southern border have been denied these things, while also being detained longer than the 72 hours allowed by law.

She is a member of the Homeland Security Committee and said in a statement that “we can protect our country and treat migrants humanely” and that “those things aren’t mutually exclusive.” She testified that providing adequate nutrition, hygiene, and bathroom facilities to migrant children in their care as being the bare minimum of what must be done.

Slotkin visited the southern border last week, and said Thursday that she “will continue to fight for bipartisan solutions that secure our border while upholding our nation’s values.” (MK)