President Trump for months has been pushing for his administration to bring back a policy of separating migrant families at the border, NBC News reported on Monday.
This report came following the resignation of Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen on Sunday. Nielsen, NBC reports, had told Trump that DHS could not bring back this controversial practice, citing court orders and the fact that Trump himself signed an executive order ending it. Still, Trump has reportedly been making this demand since January, having grown convinced that the policy is effective.
It's not entirely clear whether this disagreement is what directly led to Nielsen's ouster, although it seems likely it played a role in combination with several other factors, including Trump suddenly rescinding the nomination of Ron Vitiello for director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Nielsen, CNN reports, was forced to resign as Senior Adviser Stephen Miller pushes for more resignations at the Department of Homeland Security. Nielsen also found requests from Trump to close ports of entry along the border "ineffective and inappropriate," per The New York Times.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan will now serve as the acting secretary of Homeland Security, and NBC reports that he would consider a new policy under which migrant parents would need to either be separated from their children or bring their children with them into detention. The Washington Post reported in October that this plan was being explored.
-
How are these Epstein files so damaging to Trump?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As Republicans and Democrats release dueling tranches of Epstein-related documents, the White House finds itself caught in a mess partially of its own making
-
Margaret Atwood’s memoir, intergenerational trauma and the fight to make spousal rape a crime: Welcome to November booksThe Week Recommends This month's new releases include ‘Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts’ by Margaret Atwood, ‘Cursed Daughters’ by Oyinkan Braithwaite and 'Without Consent' by Sarah Weinman
-
‘Tariffs are making daily life less affordable now’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump DOJ sues to block California redistrictingSpeed Read California’s new congressional map was drawn by Democrats to flip Republican-held House seats
-
GOP retreats from shutdown deal payout provisionSpeed Read Senators are distancing themselves from a controversial provision in the new government funding package
-
Catholic bishops rebuke Trump on immigrationSpeed Read ‘We feel compelled’ to ‘raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity,’ the bishops said
-
House releases Epstein emails referencing TrumpSpeed Read The emails suggest Trump knew more about Epstein’s sex trafficking of underage women than he has claimed
-
Newsom slams Trump’s climate denial at COP30speed read Trump, who has called climate change a ‘hoax,’ declined to send any officials to this week’s summit
-
UK, Colombia halt intel to US over boat attacksSpeed Read Both countries have suspended intelligence sharing with the US over the bombing of civilian boats suspected of drug smuggling
-
Trump pardons 2020 fake electors, other GOP alliesSpeed Read The president pardoned Rudy Giuliani and more who tried to overturn his 2020 election loss
-
Supreme Court to decide on mail-in ballot limitsSpeed Read The court will determine whether states can count mail-in ballots received after Election Day
