The possibility of the Biden administration reintroducing family detention for migrants has stirred up anger among Democrats, evoking memories of the ‘kids in cages’ controversy that occurred during the Trump administration.

Upon assuming office, the president terminated this practice and campaigned against it, asserting that “families should remain united.”

According to the New York Times, as Title 42, a measure implemented during the pandemic to enable the authorities to rapidly deport migrants, is set to expire in May, high-ranking officials from the White House and the Department of Homeland Security are considering reviving the initiative.

“These reports are deeply concerning—reinstating family detention would be a grave mistake,” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., member of the Homeland Security Committee tweeted of the news. 

“Instead of relying on costly failed policies that traumatize migrants and cruelly encourage more families to separate, we must focus on building a safe and humane immigration system,” he said, as reported by the Daily Mail.

During the Trump administration, minors were detained alongside their families after crossing the border. In contrast, the Biden administration chose to temporarily release families into the United States before their hearings, reasoning that this approach was “more compassionate.”

The news report came as a surprise to House and Senate Democrats, who felt unprepared for the White House’s policy choices for the second time in as many weeks.

Written by staff