EL PASO, Texas — President Trump's administration has repeatedly said his “zero tolerance” border policy only applies to migrants who illegally try to cross into the United States. But his hardline approach also ensnares asylum seekers attempting to enter legally.
“One of the great concerns now is that there are reports of some families who cross through the port of entry that they are separated and prosecuted criminally. Those that are due seek asylum through the normal process and that are following the right procedures in doing so are treated the same as those that do not.
That's because U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have discretion in determining if a child is in danger — or if a child and their custodian are related. CBP also has the power to decide if that parent or custodian should be “referred for criminal prosecution” and thus, separated from their child.
In other cases, asylum seekers are running into roadblocks even before they can officially log their claim. Recently, officers have stopped asylum seekers at the border and told them to come back later because the detention centers were full.
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