The U.S. administration is considering separating families of undocumented migrants in order to reduce the number of illegal border crossings and tackle the country’s migration crisis.
In line with the existing U.S. policy, the families of undocumented migrants are not separated before deportation, and are either kept together in specialised facilities or released before their deportation hearings.
The U.S. could start sending parents to adult detention centers, while children could be sent to separate juvenile detention facilities or to the so-called sponsors, who could be the children’s relatives living in the country, The New York Times reported.
According to the newspaper, the plan has already been approved by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen has yet to sign it.
During his presidential campaign, President Donald Trump repeatedly promised to fight undocumented migration to the U.S. by introducing a set of measures, including tough immigration legislation and the construction of a wall at the U.S.-Mexican border. (Sputnik/NAN)