WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly says his agency is considering separating children and parents caught crossing the Mexican border illegally.
Kelly says such a move would be part of a broader effort to stop families from making the dangerous trek across Mexico to the United States border. He confirmed that he’s considering the action during an interview with CNN Monday.
Tens of thousands of parents and children mostly fleeing violence in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala have been caught crossing the border illegally in recent years. Generally, the families are detained for a few days or weeks before being released to wait for an immigration judge to decide their fate.
It can take years for a case to be completed in federal immigration court.