Zero-Tolerance Policy and Family Separations
The Trump administration implemented the zero tolerance policy to deter future unauthorized border crossings, as increasing numbers of families were apprehended at the southern border: from just over 11,000 in 2011 to almost 100,000 in the first four months of the 2019 fiscal year. The policy required criminal prosecution for illegal entry of those who crossed the US – Mexico border without authorization. Guidelines established over the previous two decades, starting with the Flores Settlement Agreement of 1997, determined how the children of detained adults had to be treated. Under these guidelines, children could not be detained in family immigration detention centers for more than 20 days. The zero tolerance policy, which led to longer-term detention of immigrant adults, resulted in the family separations widely reported in the media. The policy was formally brought to an end in June 2018 after facing national and international criticism.
The Congressional Research Service reported that thousands of children were separated from their families before and after the policy was announced. Several organizations have reported that family separations continued after the Trump administration claimed to have ended the policy.
