Willie Nelson says Christians should be outraged over separating families at border

Willie Nelson, here in a January 2017 photo, keeps up a rigorous touring and recording schedule. He is 84 years old. (AP)

Country singer-songwriter Willie Nelson on Thursday spoke out against the Trump administration’s policy of separating families caught at the border, The Austin American-Statesman reported.

“What’s going on at our southern border is outrageous,” Nelson, 85, said in a statement. “Christians everywhere should be up in arms. What happened to, ‘Bring us your tired and weak and we will make them strong?’ This is still the promise land,” Nelson said, quoting a song from his 1986 album, “The Promiseland.”

Nelson’s opinion contrasts with Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who quoted the Bible to justify the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy.

Responding to criticism, Sessions on Thursday evoked Apostle Paul’s commandment to “obey the laws of the government because God has ordained them for the purpose of order.”

In this June 14, 2018, file photo, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks about immigration at Parkview Field in Fort Wayne, Indiana. (Mike Moore/The Journal-Gazette via AP)

Nelson previously took Sessions to task for commenting that marijuana is “only slightly less awful” than heroin.

“I don’t think you can really make a statement like that unless you tried it all,” Nelson said. “So I’d like to suggest to Jeff to try it and then let me know later if he thinks he’s still telling the truth!”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.