(Brownsville, TX) -- Senator Jeff Merkley is speaking out against the Trump administration policy of separating asylum-seeking parents from their children. After touring an immigration detention facility in Texas, the Oregon Democrat said it's "completely unacceptable" to inflict trauma on children to send a message to adults. He also said hurting kids for political leverage is "evil." The Trump administration has adopted a policy of "zero tolerance" for illegal immigration. However, Merkley called it a policy of "zero humanity." Merkley was joined by other lawmakers like Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen and Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.