DHS formally bans family separations for illicit border crossings
Homeland Security officials on Friday formally banned separating children from parents who are caught illegally crossing U.S. border, as part of an effort by the Biden administration to revert the effects of former President Trump's "zero tolerance" policy.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Acting Commissioner Troy Miller issued a memo to the heads of Border Patrol and CBP's Office of Field Operations prohibiting the separation of children from their parents or guardians for convictions on illegal entry to the United States, and banning the referral of parents for prosecution exclusively on the grounds of illegal entry to the country.
Miller's memo added an exception on national security grounds, allowing CBP and Border Patrol agents to refer illegal entry for prosecution with approval of higher-ranking officials and local counsel.
The guidance in Miller's memo is intended to clarify a 2018 court order that required the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to stop separating families based on illegal entry charges and to reunite families who were separated under the Trump administration's zero tolerance policy.
https://thehill.com/latino/556060-dhs-formally-bans-family-separations-for-illicit-border-crossings
