The Full Court Press: Far from a Retreat, the Trump Administration’s Border Policies Advance its Enforcement Aims

Photo courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Sarah Pierce for the Migration Policy Institute reports that President Trump’s executive order temporarily ending the separation of families at the U.S.-Mexico border and indications that the administration may, for now, be shelving its plan to prosecute all adult illegal crossers have been welcomed by many anguished over the much-contested policies. Yet lost in the din is the deeper reality: The administration’s plan to detain all asylum seekers, including families, is now on its way to completion. The “catch-and-release” that Donald Trump has long railed against is, at least in part, effectively over for now, though the price tag in human and financial costs is a long way from being tallied in full.

KJ