Trump directs officials to keep illegal immigrant families together during the immigration process

US President Donald Trump today said he has directed his administration to keep illegal immigrant families together during the immigration process, after he backed down on the controversial migrant family separations policy.


Trump also blamed Opposition Democrats for the current crisis on the US southern border, which he said is causing tremendous damage and destruction.


"I'm directing the Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to work together to keep illegal immigrant families together during the immigration process and to reunite these previously separated groups," he told his Cabinet members during a White House Cabinet meeting.


He said the only real solution is for the Congress to close the "catch-and-release loopholes" that have fuelled the child smuggling industry, and advocated for an immigration bill.


"They don't care about the children. They don't care about the injury. They don't care about the problems. All they do is they obstruct. We should be able to make an immigration bill that can really solve the problem, not just this. This is one aspect of it. This is one very important, but small, aspect of it," he said.


President Trump urged Democratic lawmakers to come out with a legislative solution to the immigration process, which, he said, needs to be merit-based.


"My administration is also acting swiftly to address the illegal immigration crisis on the southern border. Loopholes in our immigration laws, all supported by extremist open-border Democrats and that's what they are. They're extremist, open-border Democrats," he alleged.


These loopholes, he said, have led to massive child smuggling industry. "It's exactly what it's become. Human traffickers are making a fortune. It's a disgrace," he added. -- PTI