US proposes separating women and children who cross the border illegally

The US Department of Homeland Security is considering a proposal to separate women and children who illegally cross the border together.

US security forces examine birth certificates of children in Texas. Photo: AFP

Three Trump administration officials said the proposal to separate women and children, being considered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), would prevent migrant mothers from coming to the US with their children, Reuters reported today.

The policy change allows the government to continue detaining parents while they consider deportation or wait for asylum applications. Children will be placed in “minimal restraint” custody with the Department of Health and Human Services until they are cared for by relatives in the US or are sponsored by the state.

Currently, families who fight deportation or are seeking asylum are often released quickly after detention and allowed to stay in the U.S. until their cases are resolved. A federal court ruling also prohibits the prolonged detention of children.

President Trump called for an end to "catch and release," in which illegal immigrants entering the US are released while they await legal proceedings.

A DHS official said the agency is reviewing the proposal but has not made a decision. DHS and the White House had no comment.

The proposal has met with some opposition. Senator Henry Cuellar, who represents Texas, which shares a 200-mile border with Mexico, said the proposal was wrong and a "human rights violation."

About 54,000 children and their guardians were apprehended between October 1, 2016, and March 31, 2017, double the number during the same period the previous year. Republicans in Congress say mothers are not afraid to take their children on the risky journey because they believe that if they are arrested, they will be quickly released and not have to stand trial for several years.

According to VNE