Prosecution of migrant parents on hold in US

The director of United States border control has said migrant parents crossing in from Mexico illegally will for now no longer be referred for prosecution, US media reported, effectively suspending a key plank of the “zero tolerance” policy.

However, US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan, who made the announcement on Monday in Texas, and other officials insisted that the policy remained in effect.

He said he stopped referring parents for prosecution after President Donald Trump last week signed an executive order ending the policy of separating families entering the country illegally.

The policy of separating children from their parents, including toddlers and babies, drew scorn in the US and around the world and forced Trump to make a rare retreat. The president did, however, congratulate himself for ending a much-criticised policy that he was responsible for.

McAleenan said suspending prosecution of parents was Trump’s order, and his agency did not have detention space for all the families crossing the border.

Border control agents would continue to refer for prosecution single adults who crossed over illegally. They would also separate children from adults if the child was in danger or if the adult had a criminal record, McAleenan said.

He said he was working on a plan to resume prosecution of parents who cross over with kids.

White House spokesman Sarah Sanders insisted the zero tolerance policy was still in effect.