Elaine Chao tells protesters to 'leave alone' husband Mitch McConnell when confronted on immigration

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao tried to intercede between protesters and her husband, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, as they continually asked McConnell why he was "separating families," at an event in Washington, D.C. on Monday. (AP)

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao tried to intercede between protesters and her husband, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, as they continually asked McConnell why he was "separating families," at an event in Washington, D.C. on Monday.

The couple was departing an event held at Georgetown University, The Hill reported, when the individuals approached the building.

Video of the moment was tweeted Tuesday by Hillary Clinton adviser Adam Parkhomenko, and seemed to originate from Twitter user Roberto, who identified himself as being amongst the group.

“Why don't you leave my husband alone?” Chao said.

Chao was later heard saying “He is not,” seemingly in response to the repeated questions about “separating families.”

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Before she was ultimately escorted back to her waiting vehicle, another protester asked the cabinet official how she and her husband could sleep at night.

McConnell’s office did not comment to Fox News.

The encounter comes amid a controversial “zero tolerance” immigration policy that’s led to migrant children getting split up from their parents after coming across the U.S. border. Following backlash, President Trump last week signed an executive order allowing children to remain with their families.

Along with the video, Roberto tweeted “We confronted @SenateMajLdr and @SecElaineChao with @ProPublica audio of children separated from their families at the border while leaving a @Georgetown event. We must #AbolishICE & #AbolishCBP! #FreedomforImmigrants.”

Describing himself as “a rising senior” at the university, he explained that he learned about the officials’ visit to campus from a friend after returning from his “internship at United We Dream.”

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“My parents are Mexican immigrants, and I was infuriated that a man who blocked the Dream Act and a Trump cabinet official were invited to my campus,” Roberto tweeted. “As a result, my friends quickly mobilized and went to the event that was held inside Copley Formal.”

He referenced the exchange between Chao and the protesters, adding, “My question is why they won’t leave our families, friends and communities alone? As my friend said, ‘how do you sleep at night?’ #FreedomForImmigrants.”

“And to be honest, I cannot fathom how these movers of racism, discrimination and hate sleep at night,” he tweeted. “Cabinet officials like Elaine Chao might not like to hear it but she and her husband bear responsibility and we won’t stop telling that truth everywhere they go. #AbolishICE.”

Fox News’ Charles Creitz, Chad Pergram, John Roberts and Andrew O’Reilly contributed to this report.