
Central American migrants look through the border wall near the ocean in Tijuana, Mexico, in April.
Credit: Hans-Maximo Musielik/AP
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Monday that the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security will partner to prosecute anyone illegally crossing the southwest border and separate children from parents. In two speeches before law enforcement officials in Arizona and California, Sessions expanded on the “zero tolerance” policy against illegal immigration he first announced last month. “If you cross this border unlawfully, then we will prosecute you. It’s that simple,” said Sessions. “If you smuggle illegal aliens across our border, then we will prosecute you. If you are smuggling a child, then we will prosecute you and that child will be separated from you as required by law. If you don’t like that, then don’t smuggle children over our border.” Sessions’ announcement comes as immigration officials are seeing a new surge in illegal border crossings. As NPR’s John Burnett reported:
What happened to their “own” “family values”?
Shameful, morally wrong and not even in the economic interest of the country which today is lacking enough workers to fill jobs which would be eagerly snapped up by refugees, whose young families would fire up consumption and economic growth, as is the case with all families with children.