Family separation policy at the border
Enacted9/10
Federal · "Zero Tolerance" policy, Sessions memo · Apr 6, 2018
Impact 9/10
Attorney General Sessions' April 6, 2018 memo directed prosecutors on the southwest border to criminally charge all illegal entry referrals, which resulted in the separation of more than 5,000 children from their parents, including separations under a 2017 pilot program. Executive Order 13841, signed June 20, 2018, halted new separations after public outcry. Court-ordered reunification efforts continued for years and some families were never reunited.
ImmigrationSafety net & benefitsPolicing & justiceChildrenParents / caregiversImmigrants
Sources
✓ Verified against primary sources 2026-08-16