BOSTON - Senator John Kerry today released the following statement yesterday's immigration raid in New Bedford that left dozens of children stranded. "Better preparation was urgently needed for the unintended consequences of yesterday's raid. Better cooperation and coordination with the Department of Social Services should have been included in the planning. There's no need to separate dozens of young children from their parents - many of whom are the sole caregivers -- without a back-up plan. That's a false choice that could have been avoided. The illegal hiring practices of companies that break the law should not twice victimize innocent children. "It's incumbent upon all of us to act to address this situation. I am sending a letter to ICE seeking an explanation into why this happened, and demanding answers about what they're doing to address what those on the ground are describing as a humanitarian crisis in Southeastern Massachusetts." ###