If you've watched TV or logged onto social media this week then you've most likely come across news about one of the biggest problems going on in the Unites States at the moment: Immigrant children being separated from their families at the border.
Nearly 2,300 migrant children trying to enter the country were taken away from their families and detained in detention centers from May 5 through June 9, 2018, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The spike in the number of families being separated stems from the "zero tolerance" policy Trump's administration put in place to combat illegal immigration.
The ruling meant that undocumented adults will be prosecuted for attempting to enter the country. Adults are placed in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service while the children are sent to facilities operated by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Although a similar policy existed under Obama's administration, it was never a requirement to separate the families during the deportation proceedings.
"The dilemma is that if you're weak, if you're weak, which some people would like you to be, if you're really, really pathetically weak, the country's going to be overrun with millions of people," said Trump while addressing the border crisis during a meeting with the members of Congress at the White House. "And if you're strong, then you don't have any heart. That's a tough dilemma. Perhaps I would rather be strong, but that's a tough dilemma."
The administration's controversial policy has been condemned by people from both the Republicans and Democrats, including former First Lady Laura Bush and Trump's own wife, Melania.
Bush called the practices at the border "immoral," before adding, "Our government should not be in the business of warehousing children in converted box stores or making plans to place them in tent cities in the desert outside of El Paso."
As for Melania, she released a statement through her spokeswoman in which she stated that she "hates to see" families being torn apart. She added that she hopes "both sides of the aisle" will be able to come together and pass immigration reform.
On June 20, after weeks of heartbreaking pleas, the president has decided to take action and make some changes to the harsh policy.
Trump confirmed that he will "be signing something in a little while" to deal with the crisis at the border.
"I'll be doing something that's somewhat preemptive and ultimately will be matched by legislation I'm sure," he said.
White House aides have refused to comment on Trump's decision, but according to an insider, Justice Department officials have been working on an executive order that the president will sign.
While this won't erase the policy in place, it will put an end to families being separated from one another.
Still, according to some experts, this executive order could create problems in the near future if the administration decides to continue detaining families as units.
Keeping minors indefinitely locked up violates the Flores Settlement, which requires children to be released to the "least restrictive environment" within 20 days if they came unaccompanied by an adult. The policy, which is named after a teenage girl who was detained in the 1980s, requires that minors with families be returned to their parents, adult relatives, or guardian.
In 2016, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that migrant children who arrive with parents should not be held in custody. It does not state whether or not their parents must also be released or kept apart from their children.
