James Comey Says He’s ‘Horrified’ By Treatment Of Child Migrants During Visit To Ireland
In a Friday public interview in Dublin that lasted over an hour, Irish Times reports that former FBI director James Comey said he was “horrified” by how child migrants were being treated at the border, so much so that he and his wife were “joking, not really joking” about claiming they were Canadian while in the customs line. Comey traveled to Ireland as part of his tour to promote his book, A Higher Loyalty. “It’s funny because it reveals a truth: I’m ashamed,” he said.
He added that he believes his decision to reopen the investigation into Hilary Clinton’s emails just 11 days before the 2016 election contributed to Donald Trump’s victory according to a report from Business Insider. It’s a painful realization for him, especially in light of the thousands of migrant children who have been separated from their families under President Trump’s immigration policies. Given the chance to do it all again, however, he believes he would make the decision to reopen the Hilary Clinton email case because he feels the American people should be informed. Comey added,
“And I sometimes wonder, if I could go back in time, would I do something deeply unprincipled? I wouldn’t. All it does is make it painful, [because] I think Donald Trump is doing — and will do — great damage to my country. But that just adds to the pain.”
Mr. Comey explained that many Americans feel the same way and that it’s reminiscent of people speaking out during the civil rights movement. “I am horrified by what happened on our border, but I wonder if something good might not come from that,” he explained.
'Ashamed' @Comey weighs calling himself Canadian, rips @POTUS border actions during Ireland visit https://t.co/aqOJ8Khm2X pic.twitter.com/EFglI1ycR8
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 23, 2018
The former FBI director recently commented that the sight of migrant children crying after being separated from their families forces your eyes above statutes and numbers” and turns them inward, forcing Americans to ask, “What kind of people are we?” He described it as a moment in which great change is possible. He compared the current outcry of Americans following images of crying migrant children to the images of black children being bitten by police dogs in Alabama in the early 60s. Those images were significant in changing our views on race relations. He described the images as “awakening the giant” that drove change in black-white relations. He believes that reporting that reveals the pain of migrant children who have been taken from their families may awaken the giant of immigration policy among American citizens.
