The Story
After a lot of backlash, President Trump signed an executive order to keep migrant families together.
Back it all the way up.
Migrants voluntarily leave home for a better life. Most that cross the US-Mexico border are from places like Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras – where they're fleeing things like violence, poverty, and drug cartels. Once they get to the border they may claim asylum, aka protection given to non-citizens.
So what's the drama?
Last month, the DOJ announced a new "zero tolerance" policy. Meaning: every adult that illegally crosses the border will be prosecuted. And every child is separated and looked after by a gov agency. Earlier this week, we learned the number of kids separated in a five-week span was more than 2,300. And we got an inside look at some of the detention centers and shelters where they're being held.
How did past administrations deal with this?
The GW Bush admin had a similar "zero tolerance" policy, but made exceptions for adults traveling with kids. The Obama admin typically detained families together or let them go. And got flak for how it handled things.
So why the change?
The Trump admin said there were too many loopholes. That since past admins have made exceptions for families, some people are crossing with kids that aren't their own. And by setting up a "zero tolerance" policy it could send a message to other migrants not to come.
But then why the change of heart?
Because Trump and co got heat from pretty much everyone – from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to First Lady Melania Trump to Pope Francis. Plus Trump said he didn't like "the sight or the feeling" of families being separated.
What's the new policy?
The "zero tolerance" policy is still a thing. But Trump signed an executive order so families can stick together while they're in custody and get their cases sped up. It's still unclear if families that have already been separated will be reunited.
So that's that.
Not really. There's still a legal issue at play. Trump's trying to get around the 1997 Flores settlement that says kids can only spend 20 days max in detention centers, even if they're with their parents. If he gets it, that means kids may be held indefinitely (cue: legal problems). If he doesn't get it, that means kids may be separated after 20 days (cue: legal problems).
theSkimm
Trump is not the first president to get called out over border policy. But he is the first to mandate kids be separated at the border. Now that he's walked that back, it's leaving more questions for these families than answers.
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