On Wednesday, President Donald Trump elected to rescind, via executive order, the immigration policy that resulted in the separation of immigrant children from their parents when caught illegally crossing the border between the US and Mexico. This followed a wave of national and international criticism. Trump’s order will ensure that immigrant families taken into detention remain together, although it is not clear how long the detention is likely to last.
The executive order does not put a complete end to the policy of zero-tolerance that calls for the criminal prosecution of immigrants who illegally cross the border, and moves immigrant parents to the head of the queue on immigration proceedings. Trump said that he was signing the order to ensure families remain together while continuing to keep the border strong and powerful.
Groups, from business leaders to clergy, were outraged by the family separations, with condemnation also coming from overseas, including from Pope Francis. A White House source said that Trump recognized it was becoming a serious political problem. A White House official also claims that Trump’s wife, Melania, and daughter, Ivanka, also urged him to make changes on the issue.
The decision was the biggest reversal of policy made by Trump since he assumed the Presidency in January 2017. The President normally refuses to back down on controversial issues, having made a tough immigration stance a key aspect of his political platform.