In a record-making move, US President Donald Trump has abandoned his policy of separating families at the US-Mexico border, after videos and photographs of traumatised children horrified the world.
In what the New York Times calls an “unusual reversal” for the President, he has today signed an executive order that will require immigrant families to be detained together when they are caught entering the country illegally, as well as see parents with children moved to the front of the queue for immigration proceedings.
“It’s about keeping families together while at the same time making sure that we have a very powerful, very strong border,” Trump said. “I didn’t like the sight or the feeling of families being separated.”
He added: “Ivanka feels very strongly. My wife feels very strongly about it. I feel very strongly about it.”
His daughter Ivanka has tweeted her support of Trump’s decision, the ABC reports:
The tweet has since been slammed:
However, a Health and Human Services official told the New York Times that the more than 2300 children who have already been torn apart from their families will not be reunited immediately, as their parents remain in custody for their immigration proceedings.
