Trump Signs Family Separation Executive Order

06/21/2018

Yesterday President Trump signed an Executive Order to address the separation of families detained at the Southern border. The Executive Order states, "It is... the policy of this Administration to maintain family unity, including by detaining alien families together where appropriate and consistent with law and available resources."

The President's Executive Order instructs the Department of Defense to provide the Department of Homeland Security all available facilities for family detention, as well as to construct additional facilities if necessary. The Executive Order calls for the prioritization of immigration proceedings involving detained families, but it does not address the reunification of families who have already been separated at the border.

Today, Customs and Border Protection issued a statement on the implementation of the President's Executive Order. It states, "Family unity will be maintained for families apprehended crossing the border illegally, and they will be transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement." The statement continues, "For those children still in Border Patrol custody, we are reuniting them with parents or legal guardians following prosecution."