Sessions, Rosenstein Pushed to Separate Kids at Border Despite Prosecutors’ Concerns: DOJ

Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his deputy Rod Rosenstein pushed to separate children from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border, against the wishes of prosecutors in their department, according to a report released Thursday by the Justice Department’s inspector general. Sessions believed families could be separated, prosecuted and reunified within the span of an afternoon, according to the report. The policy caused severe psychological damage in children, some of whom were never reunited with their families. Both Sessions and Rosenstein were informed of possible ramifications, which they ignored, according to the report. President Trump ceased the policy via executive order in June 2018, after widespread public backlash. The report confirms reporting from The New York Times in October.