Politics

Customs And Border Protection Stops Handing Illegal Immigrant Families To The Department Of Justice For Prosecution

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The Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy has reportedly taken a hit in the recent chaos, temporarily reviving the “catch and release” policies of the past.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is no longer turning families apprehended crossing into the U.S. illegally over to the Department of Justice for prosecution, CBP Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan said Monday, according to The New York Times. The suspension will apparently remain in place until CBP and DOJ can come to some agreement about the best way to detain and prosecute illegal immigrants without separating families.

As space at the relevant detention facilities is limited, some illegal immigrant families are expected to simply be released into the U.S. with a court date. White House Press Secretary acknowledged the situation Monday afternoon. “We’re not changing the policy. We’re simply out of resources,” she told reporters.

Waves of illegal immigrants are pouring into the country, putting overwhelming pressure on agencies and facilities that are already stretched thin. In the three family detention facilities, there are only around 3,300 beds, according to a 2018 Government Accountability Office report, but thousands of illegal immigrants cross the border every month.

The current dilemma is one that was anticipated as early as last Friday.

“It’s going to be ‘catch and release’ because they don’t have the detention beds for them,” a former official told Politico, revealing the details of a realistic Department of Homeland Security meeting. “We’re going to have to release them,” he explained.

As is, only about 60 percent of all illegal immigrants are being recommended for prosecution, the latest data reveals, with the others being released into the country in a manner noticeably consistent with the practices of the previous  administration.

Despite the latest setbacks, Attorney General Jeff Sessions continues to insist that the administration’s “zero tolerance” policy is being fully implemented. “The president has made this clear, we are going to prosecute those adults who came here illegally,” he said Monday, adding that the U.S. government will “do everything in our power” to fulfill the expectations of the president’s executive order and avoid separating families.

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