What happens
at the border?
Family groups are detained after illegally crossing US border and sent for processing
All adults who cross the border illegally now prosecuted under ‘zero tolerance’ policy
Separation occurs as children cannot be held in adult detention facilities
What happens
to the parents?
What happens
to the children?
Adults await trial in jail - six months is the maximum sentence for first-time illegal entry
Children are forced to await the outcome of criminal cases against their parents
Backlogs mean many sentenced to ‘time served’ when they do get a hearing
They are taken to temporary immigration shelters run by the the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which searches for parents, relatives or family friends to place them with in the US
After serving time, parents are sent to detention facilities run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) where asylum applications and deportation proceedings begin
If no placement is found the children may have to stay in the crowded shelters
Once parents are within ICE detention centres it is theoretically possible for families to be reunited but the mechanism is unclear
What happens
at the border?
Family groups are detained after illegally crossing US border and sent for processing
All adults who cross the border illegally now prosecuted under ‘zero tolerance’ policy
Separation occurs as children cannot be held in adult detention facilities
What happens
to the parents?
What happens
to the children?
Adults await trial in jail - six months is the maximum sentence for first-time illegal entry
Children are forced to await the outcome of criminal cases against their parents
Backlogs mean many sentenced to ‘time served’ when they do get a hearing
They are taken to temporary immigration shelters run by the the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which searches for parents, relatives or family friends to place them with in the US
After serving time, parents are sent to detention facilities run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) where asylum applications and deportation proceedings begin
If no placement is found the children may have to stay in the crowded shelters
Once parents are within ICE detention centres it is theoretically possible for families to be reunited but the mechanism is unclear