(Rafael Bernal, The Hill) – Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said Monday he is considering separating children and parents caught crossing the border illegally.
Kelly told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer the measure would help deter Central Americans from embarking on the dangerous trip many undocumented migrants take to reach the United States.
“I would do almost anything to deter the people from Central America to getting on this very, very dangerous network that brings people through Mexico to the United States,” Kelly said.
Asked whether he was indeed proposing separating family units, Kelly said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has “tremendous experience” dealing with unaccompanied minors.
“We turn them over to [The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)] and they do a very, very good job of either putting them in foster care or linking them up with relatives in the United States,” he said.