Trump Administration to Limit Migrant Detention at Border to Prevent Overcrowding
FULL UP
The Trump administration is imposing new limits on the detention of migrant families at the Mexico border in order to prevent overcrowding at facilities, The Wall Street Journal reports. As of this week, hundreds of families picked up each day in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley are reportedly being released by Border Patrol agents—in the past they would have been handed over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and potentially detained for longer periods of time. The exact number of families being released will depend on how much room there is at ICE detention facilities, many of which are at capacity. Government officials told the Journal that the changes are being implemented because of crowding and safety concerns. President Trump repeatedly pledged to end what he called “catch-and-release” at the border in favor of “catch-and-detain,” but immigration officials have struggled to find room as facilities have filled up. Government projections suggest a record volume of families have attempted to cross the border.