The Trump administration is considering a plan that could divide families that enter the U.S. from Mexico illegally, according to a new report.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement have approved the idea, but it has not yet received backing from Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, who has the final authority to decide if it will be implemented, the New York Times reported Thursday.
Some have speculated that such a plan would be implemented by the Trump administration and the president has made halting illegal immigration a top priority.
Earlier this year, former DHS secretary and now White House chief of staff John Kelly said the DHS was evaluating the policy in an effort to prevent entire families from illegally entering the U.S. However, he quickly walked back on those statements and told Senate Democrats splitting children from their mothers wasn’t the intent.
The proposed plan means families could face separation because parents would be held at detention facilities prior to being deported and their children would remain under protective custody at juvenile shelters. Alternatively, they would remain with an approved sponsor.
Trump administration officials are weighing the proposal as a means to prevent illegal border crossings, particularly among ones with children.
